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 Games: Swish, Jr.

Age level: Early Elementary, Upper Elementary

Description: I was pretty excited when Thinkfun offered me another free game, but I had no idea that it would so quickly become a student favorite. This unique matching game uses transparent cards to develop visual and spatial thinking skills. The goal is to collect cards by making matches, or Swishes. The player who collects the most cards wins the game.

Skills & Modifications: While the instructions included with the game provide ideas for making the game more difficult, they do not include ideas for making the game easier. When I introduced this game to students, I introduced it in steps to determine what level to begin with. You can see my steps for introducing the game below (click to enlarge.) Introducing it in steps was essential for allowing my students to experience success with the game.

The other aspect to this game that students with autism might find difficult is speed. The idea is to find the “Swishes” before anybody else does. I modify the game in this regard by matching my own speed to that of the students or working to find peers who are playing the game at a similar rate. For one student, I allowed him to play the game as a single-player game. He made “Swishes” as quickly as he could and enjoyed it as an independent activity.

Scanning – The game naturally focuses on higher-order scanning, as students have to scan all the cards on the table (or floor) and think about their relationships to one another. To modify the game to meet a child’s current skill level for scanning, you’ll see on my data sheet that I reduce the number of cards in the field of play.

Matching – At its most basic, this is a high level matching game. As with scanning, I modify the game to meet the child’s current level of matching by reducing the number of cards in the field of play.

Critical Thinking – While I introduce this game by allowing students to pick up the cards and try to find matches through trial and error, the ultimate goal is that they will be able to mentally rotate the cards to find the matches. This can be exceedingly difficult for many of my students, but the design of these cards motivates them enough to keep trying. One student in particular kept saying “This is so hard,” but she continued to try. I was surprised that her motivation was strong enough to increase her frustration tolerance. With other games, when it gets too hard, she usually swipes all the materials from the table. With this game, she remained focused and enjoyed the process of thinking critically.

Spatial Skills/Orientation – This is the only game I currently have that uses highly motivating materials to practice skills for manipulating materials by turning them over or turning them around. Many students with autism struggle with concepts related to spatial skills and require prompts to manipulate materials by rotating them or turning them over completely. However, some students I work with have much higher skill levels with visual performance and spatial skills than they do in other domains. One student I used this with quickly mastered the concept, and enjoyed playing the game with me or as an independent puzzle. This was especially beneficial for him because he rarely interacts with materials appropriately when working independently. But Swish, Jr. met his current skill level and was challenging enough to keep him focused on the task presented by the game.

Pros: The materials are highly motivating and allow practice of visual & spatial skills in a unique way. The game also encourages mentally working out a problem before moving the materials.

Cons: None.

Cost: $12.99 You should invest in this game if: you are a classroom teacher in early elementary, you are focusing on visual perception and/or critical thinking skills with a child, or you are a parent trying to find a game that will motivate more than one child. (While this game does not directly encourage peer interaction, it can be played simultaneously by multiple children with different skill levels.)

ABLLS: B7, K5

VB-MAPP: VP-MTS 5, Social 4, VP-MTS 9, VP-MTS 10

**Swish, Jr.  was provided to me for free by the company ThinkFun to write about here at Teach Through. This did not influence my opinions on the game. The thoughts and ideas above are all my own.

Teach Through Books: What Do You Do With a Tail Like This?

Age level: Preschool, Early Elementary

Description: This stunning book by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page uses cut-paper art to illustrate different parts of animals and their uses. Students can explore how a platypus uses his nose or how a bat uses its ears among many other things. The books is also well-organized in that a set of two pages will show several noses along with the question “What do you do with a nose like this?” Students are able to make guesses and discuss possibilities before turning to the next page, which shows the animals in their entirety and provides a brief explanation of how each animal uses its nose. It continues like this for several different body parts. I also love Steve Jenkin’s work, which you can learn more about here. And you definitely don’t want to miss his video about how he creates his work.

Skills & Modifications: I often find that books are the easiest tools to work with because you can easily follow the student’s lead in terms of what they are motivated to look at and what their current skill level is. For this book, I typically choose to focus on just one of the skills listed below, and plan ahead questions I will ask and points of entry for conversation based on my knowledge of the student’s interest and current skill level. As I’ve mentioned in previous discussions about materials I use with students, this should be fun. You can keep it fun by allowing the student time to explore the materials on their own, only asking questions part of the time (so, for example, I won’t ask them to describe each item on the page), and following the student’s lead on what he/she finds motivating.

• Peer Play/Intraverbal Conversation – One of the my favorite things about this book is that it is usually very motivating for my students with autism AND it is motivating to their typically developing peers or siblings. I have had success using this book to engage my students in sharing guesses or questions with a peer or sibling.
• Adjectives – This is a great book for having students tell me about a picture or describe an animal, especially on the pages with only one body part showing. For example, I will ask a student to tell me about each nose. The student will point to each nose and tell me 1-2 sentences about it.
• Compare & Contrast – This is a step beyond simply describing each body part by having students compare two or more. For example, I’ll ask the student “How are these two noses similar?” or “Can you compare these two noses?” For higher level learners, we will compare how the body parts are used once that information has been revealed.
• Critical Thinking – For higher level learners, this book is great practice for having them make strong guesses about what each body part might be used for. To practice critical thinking skills, I sometimes write on index cards the potential uses. So for noses, one index card says “This nose is uses to give yourself a bath,” another says “This nose is used to dig in the mud,” and so on. Then the student looks at the pictures of just the noses, matches each index card to a nose, then describes how he/she came to that conclusion. We then check answers and discuss what aspects about the size, shape, or features of the nose might have been a clue for it’s function.
• Expressive Language – All of the examples of activities for this book listed above require the use of expressive language. The book is engaging and naturally fosters interaction with peers, siblings, or adults.
• Identifying an Object When Part of that Object is Hidden – This skill is very easy to practice due to the design of the book. Some students with autism struggle greatly with this skill.

Pros: For students with autism, this book can help with a variety of skills because there is such clarity about what aspects of the book they should be attending to. For example, the background is white, and the parts of the animals are at the foreground. The subject matter is also engaging for many of my students, and allows for conversation and interaction in a way that many books don’t.

Cons: For early learners, a lot of the animals are not ones they would be familiar with, so it may not be the best tool for certain skills. For example, you wouldn’t expect a student to look at only the eyes of a fish and be able to identify that it is an archerfish. However, it is relatively easy to adjust the activity for your student’s skill level.

Cost: $7.95 Should I buy this? This is a great purchase for a classroom, especially if you have students who are highly motivated by animals.

ABLLS: coming soon

VB-MAPP: coming soon

Teach Through Games: Laser Maze

Age level: Upper Elementary, Middle School, High School

Description: This unique science-based game requires students to direct a laser beam through a maze of obstacles to hit a specific target. The materials are highly motivating for students, and the game itself is quite challenging. Students have to think strategically to figure out where to place beam-splitters, cell blockers, mirrors, and targets to achieve the goal on the game-card they have chosen. There are multiple levels of play, from beginner to expert.

Skills & Modifications: The first thing I absolutely loved about this game is that the instructions suggested having the student explore the materials on their own before engaging in gameplay. I did this with each student, and it helped build an understanding of the pieces in a more naturalistic and engaging way than just having me label and define each piece. It also built motivation to accept the challenges presented on the game cards.

• Scanning: This game requires strong scanning skills. While the picture of the game on the box emphasizes the laser as a straight line of light that you can follow, in reality you have to find where point of light is hitting a surface. That point of light may be on a surface within the game, on a wall across the room, on a player’s shirt, anywhere! For one student who struggled with finding the point of light, I modified the game by using Diffusion in a Can, which sprays a fog over the game board. While this modification is expensive (I paid $20 on amazon for one can), it lasts for a long time. It allowed for my student to see the entire laser beam and be more successful with the game. I tried to quickly fade the use of the spray by giving her time to find the point of light on her own. 
• Critical Thinking – At its root, this is a logical thinking puzzle game. The game requires thoughtfulness as the student makes different attempts to hit the target with the laser. Because there are multiple pieces involved, for some students, I modified the game by narrowing down the selection of choices for completion in a task. For other students who were struggling with the beginner cards I actually gave them the appropriate piece and allowed them to use trial and error to figure out the appropriate placement for that piece in order to hit the target.
• Cause & Effect – The student places game tokens on the board, turns on the laser, and sees if it’s hitting the target. If not, they readjust. There is a clear cause and effect relationship between each adjustment the student makes. As with critical thinking skills, when necessary I modified the game by reducing the number of game tokens for the student to choose from.
• Accepting Mistakes/Errors – One of my favorite aspects of this game is the built in trial and error. It’s hard to find games that encourage learning from errors in this way. This is a great game to work on accepting mistakes because the materials are highly motivating, and there is a faster “pay-off” to moving on from your mistake and trying again.
• Independent Play – The game is designed so one person can play it. If you are working with students with autism on improving their independent play skills, this may be a good choice. If your student cannot interact with the game independently at this point, you can promote independence by including it in your choices for Activity Schedules. This way the student can independently choose the game, take out all materials, and include it in a range of appropriate activities he/she is guiding him/herself through. It also allows for the opportunity for the student to independently invite someone else to play the game.

Pros: The main attraction to this game is that it involves lasers, which each student I’ve used it with has found highly motivating. Even when the child struggled with how challenging the game was, they continued to try to figure it out because their motivation was so high. Another pro is that there are multiple levels of play. None of my students went beyond beginner, but this is fantastic if you are working with involving siblings, peer play, or when you’re ready to make it more challenging for your own student. Finally, I cannot state enough how important it is to have a game that teaches it’s okay to make errors and allows for quick learning from any errors. Having those errors be part of the learning process is an essential aspect of this game, especially when most games children encountered are largely focused on winning or losing.

Cons: Though the game is suggested for students 8 and up, if you are buying it to help your student with appropriate independent play skills, this may not be the best option. The students I used it with needed assistance with the beginning level. The second con is that the box is designed so that there is a specific spot for the laser. There are multiple compartments for the game pieces, and the one for the laser is much deeper than the ones for the other pieces. When packing it back into the box, if you place it in one of the other compartments (as I did) then the button for the laser will be compressed by the lid of the box and drain the battery quickly. I now have a little sticker placed in the deepest compartment to prompt students to place the laser in the correct compartment, which means battery life will not be an issue in the future.

Cost: $29.99 Should I buy this? The price is a bit steep, but this is a unique game. You’ll have to think about your particular child or students and determine if it’s worth the cost to have access to a different way of teaching the skills listed above.

ABLLS: coming soon

VB-MAPP: coming soon

**Laser Maze was provided to me for free by the company ThinkFun to write about here at Teach Through. This did not influence my opinions on the game. The thoughts and ideas above are all my own.

Teach Through Books: CDB by William Steig

Age level: Early Elementary, Upper Elementary

Description: When I was eight years old, I discovered CDB! by William Steig. Now, twenty-plus years later, I return to it frequently with my students. Each page has a rudimentary illustration along with a set of letters. The student has to read the letters and refer to the picture to figure out what the letters are really “saying.” For example, on the cover the title (CDB!) is shown with a boy showing a girl a bee flying near a flower. The student is able to decipher that CDB really says “See the bee!”

Skills & Modifications: The difficulty level of these letter puzzles varies throughout the book. The biggest modification I make is that, before introducing the book to a student, I will put a post-it note to mark pages I believe the student can decipher independently. This is a great way to get the student engaged with the material and motivated enough to try more difficult puzzles without exhausting his/her frustration tolerance.

• Critical Thinking – For many students with autism, it is difficult to look at an object and “see” it as something else. The idea of looking at a text and finding a hidden meaning can be difficult to understand for these students. However, the book provides lots of support to reach this goal and can serve as an important segue into similar activities that are more necessary to day-to-day life, such as understanding metaphors or reading between the lines. When teaching with this book, I frequently use phrases such as “What’s the hidden meaning?” or “It says “CDB”, but what is it really saying?” I can then use this language later when teaching other concepts as a cue about subtext, double-meanings, etc.
• Humor – Because humor frequently involves some of the skills listed above (such as reading between the lines or double meanings), this book can be very beneficial for students with autism.  Here, the humor is not so difficult to understand. This is one of those rare tools that allows for shared laughter and understanding with our students with autism.
• Peer Play – Perhaps one of the best things about this book is that there are few prerequisite skills for being able to participate with it. If your student is able to read letters and has some picture comprehension, he or she is likely to be able to engage with this book, which makes it a great tool for working with siblings or peers of varied ages. This is a book that I have frequently brought out as a common activity for a student and his/her sibling. I have found that kids typically have their “a-ha moment” when they understand the phrasing at about the same time, and when they don’t they are eager to explain it to their peer. In a couple of instances, a student and his/her sibling were able to converse about the picture to try to figure out the puzzle together.

Pros: It is easy for students to grasp the concept and provides a lot of practice with the concept throughout the book. It also focuses on picture comprehension at a higher level along with word play.

Cons: The difficulty of the puzzles ranges widely throughout the book. While it was not designed for students with special needs, I would love if it had been organized somewhat my level of difficulty.

Cost: $7.99 Should I buy this? I absolutely recommend this book. It’s highly motivating for a broad range of students. It should also be noted that there is a second book called CDC? by William Steig.

ABLLS: coming soon

VB-MAPP: coming soon

Teach Through Games: CooCoo the Clown! by Blue Orange

Age level: Preschool, Early Elementary

Description: The idea of this game is that students are trying to get CooCoo to juggle as many balls as possible. CooCoo is designed in such a way that his feet are rounded, making him able to rock back and forth. Twenty-four balls of three different sizes are included with the set. Students must choose balls based on size to place in the best location on CooCoo’s arms, hands, shoes, or hat so that he will not rock too far and fall down. While this game is listed as being appropriate for ages 3 and up, I have worked with students as old as eight or nine that still enjoy the game immensely. This is, by far, one of the most motivating games I own, especially for young learners with autism spectrum disorders.

Skills & Modifications: This game really is a critical thinking game for early learners. Below you’ll see multiple examples of areas in which students must think critically and strategize in order to win the game.

• Cause & Effect – At its most basic, this is a cause and effect toy. You put a ball in the wrong place, CooCoo will fall down. You place a ball, CooCoo may rock then balance out, or may rock and lean to one side. There’s a great anticipation aspect to this game that is not present in other games for early learners.
• Comparisons – This game easily lends itself to comparisons based on size since the balls come in small, medium, and large. While we are playing, sometimes I will pick a ball that clearly is the wrong choice to see if the student will correct me. For example, if we have placed many balls and CooCoo is clearly leaning to one side, I will pick a small ball to place in order to balance CooCoo. Usually my student will say “No, you need a bigger ball.” If not, I might ask, “Do you think this is best choice?” or “What will happen if I use the ball?” For students who are still grasping the concept of the game, I may talk through my thinking, such as “If I put this small ball here, it probably won’t make a difference. But if I pick a bigger ball, maybe CooCoo will stop leaning. I’m going to put a big ball right here. Oh, look! CooCoo stopped leaning!”
• Making Predictions – My students love to make predictions with this game. I might pick up a ball and say, “What do you think will happen if I put this ball on CooCoo’s head?” They enjoy guessing if the CooCoo will fall down or stay balanced. I also encourage my students to interact with me and their peers in asking for predictions as well.
• Peer Play – This is frequently a struggle for students with Autism Spectrum Disorders. I have found success in using this game to encourage peer play because student’s are just as motivated to watch what happens when another player plays as they are to engage with the game on their own. Moreover, this game is more motivating to play correctly than to play in a stimulatory or inappropriate way. (Although I have had one student who greatly enjoyed pushing down on one arm so that CooCoo would fall over before any balls had been placed. With some teaching, he began to interact with the game appropriately when supervised, but left to his own devices he did not play with the game as it was designed.)
• Averages & Graphs – There are many toys and games that kids still enjoy but don’t want to admit to because they feel the toy or game is too “babyish.” I see this a lot with trains, figurines such as MyLittlePony or Barbie, and with this game. I have been able to introduce simple math skills using CooCoo. Students are motivated by the game, and not worried about it being too babyish because it is being used to teach something age-appropriate. This is one of those rare instances in which I use a game specifically to teach, and am clear about that with the student. For this I might have the student see how many balls they can balance on CooCoo multiple times, and then figure out the average. I might teach graphing to compare using a bar graph how many ball each individual student was able to balance on CooCoo. There are many possibilities here, but these are just two I have done in the past.
• Sorting/Scanning – I always practice sorting and/or scanning when I clean up the game. I remind the student(s) that there are six balls of each color, then we decide which color we are going to clean up first. They must scan through all the balls on the floor and find the color we are searching for. Once we have found all six of that color, we then choose a new color. Other times, I will have them sort the balls into groups by color, then we will count and make sure that we have all six balls of each color before packing up the game.

Pros: You can play alone or with up to 6 players. It is one of the few games for early learners that teaches concepts of strategy and logical thinking in a way that is highly motivating for students.

Cons: The game is costly. That being said, the materials are high quality (made completely of wood.)

Cost:  $27.99, but frequently less expensive on Amazon. Should I buy this? While the game is on the expensive end, it allows for practice of skills in a unique way. This is not a game that you can easily recreate or make on your own. And I appreciate any toy that I know will last for many years.

ABLLS: 

VB-MAPP: 

Teach Through Games: Iota by Gamewright

Age level: Upper elementary, Middle school, High school
Description: First of all, this is one of the tiniest games you’ll ever find. The goal of this card game is to add cards to a grid, making sure that color, shape, and number are either all the same or all different across the line. Sounds simple enough, right? Well, it’s definitely not as simple as it seems!
Skills & Modifications: The card game is designed in such a way that it makes use of a student’s visual performance, scanning, spatial reasoning, critical thinking, and categorizing skills. For some of my higher functioning students, I will play the game as designed. The instructions that come with the game offer the following variations: (1) for a short game, play with half the deck, and (2) for younger children, ignore scoring. I would add to that list (3) for younger children or lower-functioning learners create one line at a time (instead of a larger grid.)

• Alike & Different – Even if you are using one of the variations listed above, it is a good idea to have the student describe what is alike and different about each row. This is a great way to practice because there are only three areas in which each card can be alike or different: color, shape, and number. For students who need it, I may have a visual or textual reminder of those three areas to help them with descriptions, but I try to fade those reminders very quickly.
• Scanning – For higher-order scanning, I will put out as few as three cards and up to 12 cards with instructions to “point to a card that is red” or “find a triangle”, or to make it more difficult “show me a blue circle.” Based on the child’s skill level, I do not line up the cards in a row to practice this skill, but put them in a messy array on the table, floor, or playing surface.
• Critical Thinking – As I mentioned before, this game is designed to practice a multitude of skills. I think of putting all those skills together to come up with solutions to problems can be described as critical thinking. The game does this when played by the rules. You can also do it by placing three cards, then having an array of possibilities for completing the line. Having the student place the correct card to finish the line, then describe why it is the correct card is another way to work on critical thinking skills.

Pros: I do like the simple design of the cards. It’s especially great for our students who may struggle to process information when the picture is too cluttered. I also appreciate the strategy aspect of this game: it’s easy enough for most children over the age of 7 or 8 to play, but as they child grows so does their capacity to develop strategies for winning the game.
Cons: While I love the game, for some students who have deficits in motor skills, picking up these cards can be difficult and may decrease motivation in the game.
Cost: $9.99 Should I buy this? This is a great game for visual skills. Because it is easy to modify for a variety of age & skill levels, I think it is a good purchase.
ABLLS: B25
VB-MAPP: VP-MTS 7, VP-MTS 8, VP-MTS 15