Teach Through Games: Linkology

Age level: Upper Elementary, Middle School

Description: My students and I have been loving this card game that works on linking important science concepts. In this game, you match photo cards with fact-based cards to create connections. There are three versions of the game: Human Body, Animal, and Solar System. I have played both the Animal and Solar System versions. The game also includes an easy-to-use self-check answer key so that learners can be sure they are linking science facts correctly. You can click here to see a brief video tutorial.

Skills & Modifications: The game is very easy to modify to meet you learner’s current skill level. You can simply remove the cards that your learner is not prepared to play with. As the learner gains competence with the game, you can begin to add in other cards. For example, with the Solar System version, you may remove some categories that your learner is unfamiliar with: such as dwarf planet, gas planet, and rocky planet. You can systematically increase the scope of the game as your learner becomes more knowledgeable about the topic.

The other modification I make is changing the way the cards are organized. The instructions state to place your card atop the previously played card. Many of my learners can play well with this organization, but some play better when all cards are visible. For these learners, we line up the cards as pictured below so the links are visible instead of covered with each turn.

An example of all links showing instead of stacked.

No matter how you organize the game, it can be used to practice many skills, included those listed below.

• Class/Feature – This game requires that learners practice higher-order thinking related to identifying the class (or category) and features of many science concepts.
• Scanning – Learners must scan images and science vocabulary words in order to correctly place a card and complete their turn.
• Critical Thinking – This is a great game for practicing critical thinking skills. It allows learners to practice making connections between scientific concepts, but because it has visual and textual cues built into the game it’s possible to play with a wide range of skill levels.
• Science Vocabulary – This is fun way to practice vocabulary skills related to the scientific topic of the version you are playing: human body, animal, or solar system. It introduces multiple turns and allows for lots of practice in using those terms appropriately.

Pros: It’s difficult to find quality games that practice science skills, so I’m especially excited about the Linkology series!

Cons: None. I only recently discovered this game, and it has quickly become one of my favorites.

Cost: $9.99 You should invest in this game if: you have a learner over the age of 8, you are a parent seeking games to practice academic skills during summer and breaks, or you are an elementary school or science teacher seeking fun ways to practice skills.

ABLLS: A10, B18, B19, C38, C39, G29

VB-MAPP: LRFFC 15, VP-MTS 14

Teach Through Books: A Map of the World According to Illustrators & Storytellers

Age level: Upper Elementary, Middle School, High School

Description: This is a gorgeous book of maps created by illustrators and storytellers. It includes everything from watercolor maps designed as antique maps but illustrating a record label to fictional maps based on film titles, and maps detailing walking tours of Madrid with the focus on food and interesting places to a music map with instruments representing each country creating the shapes of the continents. All in all, this is a book that is thoroughly enjoyed by both older children and adults.

Skills & Modifications: What I especially enjoy about this book is that it can be used to meet your learner at his/her current skill level. The only way that I modify the book is to copy a page (so the learner is not overwhelmed by the amount of material) in order to let the learner look at it in isolation.

• Picture Comprehension – This can be used to practice higher order picture comprehension skills. Each map has a brief description of its theme, but there are so many details that there is a lot for the learner to explore. I’ll usually let the learner choose one map and we discuss it together. For older learners who are still learning to locate items within a larger picture, this book provides great age-appropriate materials for practicing that low-level skill.
• Conversation Skills – This is a great tool for working on appropriate conversational exchanges with older learners, especially for learners who are interested in art. I will open up the book to one map and we will discuss it at length, or I’ll show two maps and we’ll compare and contrast them.
• Maps – While this is not a good resource for practicing common map skills such as using the compass rose or the legend, it is a good resource for discussing the function of maps. Some maps in this book would be solely considered as art, while others could be used to achieve certain tasks.
• Expressive Language – I’ll ask the learner to describe the map in detail. The goal is for the learner to describe the map using multiple sentences and giving a variety of information.
• Class – Sometimes I will cover the brief synopsis of the map with my hand, have the learner study the map, and then have him/her make an educated guess about the class or topic of the map. It’s a nice short-duration activity that the learner enjoys, and it requires a high level of understanding class and synthesizing previous knowledge.

Pros: This is a tool I can use for high-interest, low-level lessons. It can be used for a variety of skills without presenting your learner with materials that are inappropriate for his/her age.

Cons: It’s a bit pricey, but such high quality you won’t mind.

Cost: $60.00 (frequently less expensive on Amazon) You should invest in this book if: you have a learner who is particularly interested in maps and/or art, are seeking high-interest materials for practicing conversation exchanges, or are looking for inspiration for art projects related to maps or geography.

ABLLS: C43, G25, H40, H43, L31

VB-MAPP: Social Behavior 15, LRFFC 12, Intraverbal 14

Teach Through Games: Pictionary Card Game

Age level: Upper Elementary, Middle School, High School

Description: Pictionary Card Game takes your classic game of Pictionary, removes the drawing aspect, adds in some pre-drawn cards and a dash of Charades to create a whole new game. The game includes 2 sets of 88 picture cards (the blue set is pictured below) and 66 clue cards that come in two levels: Kid and Adult. The person trying to get their team to guess the clue is called the “picturist.” Two picturists act out clues simultaneously (one with the blue set of cards and the other with the red set of cards) to try get their team to guess correctly. Picturists can combine cards or act with the cards to help their team guess the correct answer.

With many students, I spread out one deck of picture cards and we take turns trying to get each other to guess the clues.

Skills & Modifications: The game includes a great illustration of tips for using the picture cards (pictured below,) which I introduce to all students prior to playing. Before we start the game, we explore the cards a bit and practice putting them together to make different images. 

According to the rules of the game, before drawing a card, the “picturist” has to pick a number between one and four. That number correlates to the clue they have to act out. The biggest modification I make for my students is that I allow them to draw a card,  tell us what the theme or category is, and then they pick the choice they think they can act out the best. Below is an example of one student’s picture creation.

The student read the category “Wind” to me, then turned the card facedown. I used her picture creation to guess the clue. In helping me guess, she used her fingers to move the two cards so they looked like a kite-string and kite moving in the wind.

The game is also designed with a red team and blue team, including identical sets of cards. This allows for two “picturists” to act out clues for their teams at the same time. Having two people act out the scenario with two separate teams trying to figure out the answer is too much simultaneous activity for many of my students. Instead, I usually introduce it as a game of taking turns.

With these two modifications in place (choosing a clue instead of having one chosen randomly, and taking turns instead of two teams playing simultaneously) I am able to play the game with students successfully. They get to have fun, while working on some skills that may be challenging for them at the same time!

• Categories – This game organizes all of it’s clues by category. It’s fantastic for students who have mastered many categories and need practice thinking in categories. For example, some students will know the category is Wind, but will start to make guesses that are unrelated to wind. For these students, we will write down the category once the picturist has revealed it, to help the student remain focused on making appropriate guesses.
• Nonverbal Communication – This game requires that the picturist not speak. For some students with autism, using the pictures to create the clues may actually be much easier than generating clues through speech. For others, it may be difficult to generate clues from pictures that don’t look exactly like the image in their mind.
• Abstract Thinking – This game requires abstract thinking from both the picturist and the person trying to guess the clue. Abstract thinking is an important skill for all students, and especially difficult for our learners with autism. Moreover, I have had difficulty finding games that practice the skill in a way that is motivating to students. For some of my students, they reach their frustration tolerance before they are able to create or guess clues. For them, I work on the skills described above, but do it in a way that we are exploring the materials together instead of playing it as a game. For example, if we were doing the kite clue pictured above, I might bring out the three picture cards and ask them if they can figure out a way to use those cards to show “kite.” Then I systematically make it more difficult, either by providing some cards but not ALL the cards they would need, or by providing extra cards that would not help them create the clue.
• Peer Play/Teamwork – This game requires that the learners are attending to each other’s behavior, so it automatically sets up a situation for peer play. It’s also fun to do as teacher vs. students, so the students are working together to figure out the clue. With students with autism, they may require prompts to listen to each others’ guesses and try to figure out the clue together.
• Scanning – This game requires higher order scanning because there are dozens of pictures to scan through and the student has to scan items to look similar to or can represent other items. This is not the type of scanning you would expect from early learners, but from students in upper elementary through high school. K

Pros: You can play this with just two players or with much larger groups. It’s a great tool to foster team work with older students. I also love that it comes with two levels of play.

Cons: This is a game that pushes the frustration tolerance for many learner with autism. It is important to anticipate where the learner may struggle and make modifications so they can practice the essential skills described above.

Cost: $9.99 You should invest in this game if: you are working on peer play or social skills with your learner, you are seeking opportunities to practice abstract thinking, or you are working with learners who need more complex tasks to practice skills related to categories.

ABLLS: C39, K10, K11, L25

VB-MAPP: LRFFC 15

Teach Through Apps: Clean Up by Different Roads to Learning

Age level: Preschool

Description: In this game, a picture of a food, piece of clothing, or a toy appears on the screen. The student has to decide if they should put it away in the shopping cart, the closet, or the toy box. The game re-presents an item if it is sorted incorrectly. If the item is sorted correctly, the app offers verbal praise along with a brief view of a picture such as fireworks.

This app happens to be the only app I have ever used to directly teach a skill. If you have read previous posts about using the iPad with students with special needs, you already know that I almost exclusively use the iPad to assess generalization or maintenance of skills. I usually teach sorting skills by having isolated areas in which the student sorts objects. For example, sorting by color or class into bowls or colored mats I’ve placed and verbally labeled.

With one three year old boy with autism, I realized that he was not acquiring the skill of sorting through the ways I usually taught. I introduced the app because it required him to sort objects into locations they would be sorted into in real life (i.e., a grocery cart instead of one of the bowls on our table.) He was motivated to use the app and I was able to successfully teach the skill within three days. I then tested for generalization by having him sort toy items (such as toy food, doll clothing, etc) into bowls on the table. Not only was he able to do that, but he generalized the skill to other categories not represented within the game. He was also motivated enough by the game that he would occasionally request to play it on a break, so I was able to test his maintenance of the skill long after we had stopped practicing it daily.

Skills & Modifications: In general, apps are very difficult to modify. However, this app really doesn’t require modifications as it is designed to teach a very specific skill. If your child needs help, you can assist with verbal prompts, but your goal is to have the child quickly sorting items independently. For some students I do turn off the volume so they are responding to the visual item instead of the verbal cue provided by the program.

• Sorting – The app is clearly designed for this skill. While I frequently look for apps that can be used to teach a variety of skills, I have had great success with apps that focus on one skill and do it well. This is a great example of doing one skill well.
• Class – The app is designed to sort items by class. As mentioned in my example above, I used this app to teach one particular student how to sort, but then was able to generalize that skill with app to sorting objects and pictures in the real world. I have used the app with multiple other students as a way to generalize and maintain sorting skills that have already been mastered.

Pros: The app works on a key skill for early learners, and it’s a skill that can be especially difficult for our early learners with autism and other developmental delays. It’s motivating to students. I also appreciate that it has an end. It provides multiple opportunities for a student to practice sorting, then stops the game and gives a percentage for the number of correct responses. Moreover, the game presents objects in a different order AND presents a wide range of objects each time you play. The final pro for this app is that it is available on both the iPad and the iPhone.

Cons: While I love this app and have had great success using it, there are two key ways this game could be improved. First, teachers would be able to get a lot more mileage out of the app if it provided more than three categories. Second, it would be fantastic if it were leveled. Currently, the app shows one object and you have a choice of three places it belongs. My students who master this step would benefit from having changes in the difficulty level, such as five objects shown on the same screen that all need to be sorted or a time limit within which all objects need to be sorted.

Cost: $1.99 Should I buy this? If your student is struggling with sorting, this may be just the tool for helping them acquire the skill. Definitely worth two bucks!

ABLLS: coming soon

VB-MAPP: coming soon

Teach Through Games: Shopping List

Age Level: Preschool, Early elementary, and upper elementary
Description: A memory game designed for 3-7 year olds, the goal of this game is to be the first to fill your grocery cart with the items from your grocery list. I use this game with older students as well, as it is easy to modify for a variety of skills.
Modifications: This game is a basic memory game, but I make adjustments frequently to teach students about shopping, categorizing grocery items, and spending money. For example, I frequently assign dollar amounts to each item and have the students pay for each item (using pretend or real money) before placing it in their cart. I can make minor modifications to that level of play based on the student’s current skill level with money such as: calculating change owed, adding the dollar amounts of multiple items, or estimating the total cost of your shopping list for that day. I also may use the pictures to help students practice what items might be close together in the grocery store. Finally, I will have older, higher functioning students look at their grocery list and prioritize their expenditures. This game is also great for teaching kids to give directions or explanations of how to play the game. The steps are clear and there are natural visual prompts to guide them through the steps.
Skills: Money, Addition, Subtraction, Class, Describing Actions
Pros: The game is very easy to use and typically motivating for elementary-aged students. It is incredibly easy to modify based on your student’s skill level. The company who makes the game (Orchard Toys) also has expansion kits so you can increase the number of items available and the number of shopping lists. (The game comes with four chopping lists and a total of 32 items available for purchase.)
Cons: The pictures aren’t always clear, which can be a challenge for some of my students who already display difficulty labeling items. Other than that, there aren’t any major cons to this game. I think it’s a great, flexible game for teaching a variety of skills related to real-world math.
Cost: $14.00, but frequently much cheaper on Amazon.com. Should I buy this? Not necessarily. The price is good and the materials are high quality (wipe-down surfaces and sturdy cards/shopping lists.) This may be a game you want to make on your own, but it should be noted that if it’s a game you think you’ll use a lot, it’s definitely worth the price.
ABLLS:
VB-MAPP: Mand 14, VP-MTS 14, Linguistic Structure 14,

Teach Through Games: Fitz It by Gamewright

Age Level: Early elementary, Upper elementary, Middle School
Description: This is a small card game (really, the cards are tiny!) in which players have to name objects that fit the descriptions on their cards and play them in a grid pattern. Cards include phrases such as “Comes in a variety of colors,” “Made with fabric,” and “Edible.”
Modifications: This game is incredibly easy to modify. Upper elementary students will enjoy the challenge of arranging the cards in a grid pattern to name objects that fit more than one card, but you can also play the game with younger kids by having them draw one card and name objects that fit that description. (Such as, how many things can you name that “Can be rolled up.”) With some students, I structure an increase in difficulty by then pulling out two cards, so they have to come up with objects that fit both criterion, such as “Often has a logo on it” and “Made with plastic.”
Skills: Class, Feature, Function, Expressive Language, Intraverbal Conversation, Prepositions
Pros: This is one of my favorite games. As mentioned above, it is very easy to modify. It also allows you to focus on working on expressive language and recall skills in an age-appropriate way for older students. The game offers a lot of potential for increasing complexity over time, and it is easy to play with two or more children of differing skill levels.
Cons: The only con I have is that the cards are tiny, and some of my students do struggle with picking them up and grasping them.
Cost: $10.00 Should I buy this? Yes! This is a game you could make yourself, if you didn’t mind spending dozens of hours doing so. It’s a great price for a tool you can use in multiple ways with a wide range of students.
ABLLS:
VB-MAPP: LRFFC9, Intraverbal15

Teach Through Games: Hedbanz

Age level: Preschool, Early Elementary, Upper Elementary
Description: To play this game, each person is wearing a headband with a picture stuck in it. The other players are giving them clues about what the picture is. Points are assigned differently based on the variation of the game you are playing.
Modifications: While I have used the Hedbanz game, many teachers will tell you they’ve been playing variations of this game before it was manufactured for the money. I  usually just hold up a picture to my forehead and ask the student to give me clues. Then we trade turns. If the student is able to play the game without pictures, I will vary the game to “I’m thinking of…” In this game I will typically start with the category, such as “I’m thinking of an animal.” The student then guesses or asks for another clue. The game can progress in difficulty based on your student’s skill level. For example, for older students, you could have them guess which famous person from history in on their card.
Skills: Expressive language, LRFFC, intraverbal conversation (i.e. responding to someone asking for another clue, responding appropriately if someone guesses incorrectly,) turn-taking, building from previous information (i.e. remembering the first two clues after receiving the third clue.)
Pros: The game is easy to modify based on your student’s skill level. If you are teaching LRFFC one by one, you can test for generalization by playing this game just with mastered targets. And for parents, you can play “I’m thinking of” anywhere: in the car, while standing in line, etc.
Cons: Some students with autism or other delays will not tolerate the headband being placed on their head.
Cost: $20-$25 (depending on the version) Should I buy this? Probably not. All you need to play this game is pictures of different objects. There is no reason to spend the money for a game that you hope will evolve past the use of pictures to the “I’m thinking of…” game described in the modifications section above. (I promise it’s not just my extreme distaste for deliberately misspelled words that makes me recommend against this purchase!)
ABLLS: G13, G15, G16, G17, G23, G24, G25, G34, H7, H8, H9, H11, H12, H14, H16, H17, H18, H36, H37, J11
VB-MAPP: LRFFC 15M, Intraverbal 11M, Intraverbal 12M, Linguistics 13M

Teach Through Games: Dr. Seuss Super Stretchy ABC Game

Age level: Preschool, Early Elementary
Description: This game is similar to Twister, except kids are prompted to put different body parts on letters instead of colored circles. Kids are collecting letters as they go, but also trying to collect “foot prints” in order to discover the “secret letter.”
Modifications: I almost always heavily modify this game and simply use the alphabet mat. The entire game is too complicated for most of my students. I’ll lay out the mat, and then students have to follow directions to place different body parts on letter or pictures (depending on that child’s ability with letter recognition.) I frequently use it to work on LRFFC, so if a student puts their hand on the wagon, I may ask them to tell me the names of other vehicles, tell me the parts of a wagon, or tell me the function of the wagon. I also may have them name other words that start with the letter W.
Depending on the gross motor skills of the child, sometimes I only have them use their feet or their hands to place a body part on a letter. With other students, I will make it a bit sillier. For example, I may tell them to put their foot on the Z and their ear on the B. To mix it up, I may also tell them to “hop on the B” or “pat the J.” You can also work on tacting by the having the student describe the item they are touching through questions such as “What color is the train?” or “What do you do with a wagon?”
Skills: Listening skills, identifying feature/function/class, phonics, letter recognition, tacting, gross motor skills, recognizing left vs. right.
Pros: Kids typically enjoy playing with the mat, especially the physical component. The illustrations under each letter are Suessian, which is also attractive to most kids. It is extremely easy to modify this game to meet the needs of your student.
Cons: The game in it’s original form is pretty complex for many of the students I work with. It also takes a long time to reach the goal, and many students are not that motivated to find a “secret letter,” especially since it’s just in a box they could open on their own if they felt like it. Due to these two reasons, I rarely play it as designed.
Cost: $24.99 Should I buy this? Twenty-five bucks is a bit steep, especially if you’re just using the mat. That being said, the mat is highly durable. I’ve had it for about three years, carried it all over the city and used it with multiple kids. It’s also easy to clean. If you’re not willing to buy it, you could recreate it by printing out letters with images underneath and taping them down to the floor for kids to move to. It’d be time consuming, but it’d serve the same purpose as having the alphabet mat.
ABLLS: A9, A10, C5, C8, C9, C10, C17, C19, C37, C38, C39, C47, G4, G9, G13, G23, G24, G25, G26, H11, H12, H16, H17, H18, H40, Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4, Y5, Y19
VB-MAPP: Listener 5M, Listener 6M, Listener 8M, LRFFC 9M, LRFFC 10M, Tact 11M, Reading 12M, Reading 13M

Teach Through Apps: Lil’ Red

Age level: Preschool, Early Elementary
Description: This ipad app is a little pricey, but really worth it. It’s a unique interactive illustration of the story of Little Red Riding Hood. While it has music and beautiful images, it does not have any words.
Modifications: I sometimes use this app for listening skills instead of for telling a story. So I may tell the student to “touch the apple” or “find the bird.” For a student functioning at a higher level, I may ask them to “find an animal” or “show me something that grows from the ground.”
Skills: Identifying problems and solutions, summarizing a story, describing pictures, tacting (labeling) items, recalling a story you’ve heard before
Pros: I love working with children on this app. Children seem to particularly enjoy the aspects that are interactive (such as touching a bird to make it fly, or touching the wolf to see what he is thinking.) It also demonstrates some of the basic skills for comprehension without requiring reading.
Cons: Some of the artistic choices are not as intuitive as I would like. You should definitely look through it on your own first so you can prepare what questions you would want to ask your particular student or child, and so you can prompt your student or child with what parts of the screen to touch to get the full “cause and effect” aspect of the app.
Cost: $3.99 (available in itunes) Should I buy this? As a teacher, I find it valuable because I use it for many students. As a parent, it really depends on how much use you will be able to get out of it. I think it is unique and interesting. Occasionally, it goes on sale, so it may be one you want to watch before shelling out four bucks for a single app.
ABLLS: C10, C14, C19, C37, C38, C39, C43, G4, G12, G15, G16, G17, G35, G40, G47, J1, J2, J3, J4, J13, J18
VB-MAPP: Tact 5M, Tact 6M, Listener 5M, Listener 10M, LRFFC 10M, Intraverbal 13M, Intraverbal 14M, Linguistics 15M