Teach Through Games: Skunk Bingo by Gamewright

Age level: Preschool, Early Elementary

Description: Skunk Bingo puts a whole new spin on matching games for young learners. This game can be played with up to four players. It includes 4 game boards, 48 animal tiles, 1 spinner, and 1 log. That’s right…1 log. On a player’s turn, he/she spins the spinner. It will land on a 1, 2, or 3 (indicating the number of animal tiles to slide into the log) or it will land on a skunk (indicating that the player must slide a skunk into the the log.) If animals come out of the other side of the log on your turn, then you get to place them on your game board. If a skunk comes out of the other side of the log on your turn, then the players say “Peeyou!” and the stinky skunk scares away all the animals that came out of the log with it.

Skills & Modifications: One modification I made with a couple of learners was to draw the trace of the log on a piece of paper (pictured below.) While the log was in that spot, it could not be moved.

Before the game started and/or after the game started, the learner was able to hold the log and manipulate it how they wished. For one learner in particular who was very excited about the animals going into and coming out of the log, it was challenging for him to keep his hands down during gameplay.

• Motor Skills: If your learner is motivated by the game, it’s a great way to practice grasping with the thumb and index finger because the card has to be held in that way for the learner to be able to slide it into the log. Many of the learners with autism I have worked with try to do tasks with one hand and need lots of practice to use both hands when necessary. This game is also great with practicing that, as the learner must hold the log steady with one hand while placing the card inside with the other. For some learners, you may need to hold the log for them, but you should try to fade this out as quickly as possible so the learner can independently complete his/her turn.
• Cause & Effect: Skunk Bingo includes a very simple cause-and-effect element. Once a certain number of cards are inside the log, then adding another card will cause one card to be pushed out of the other end of the log. The learners I used it with were captivated by this and excited to guess what might come out next.
• Matching: The foundation of this game is matching. When an animal comes of the log, they must see if he/she can match it to an animal pictures on his/her game board.
• Scanning: This is great for multiple levels of scanning. Each game board has nine pictures on it. The learner must scan his/her own game board, then scan the field of animal tiles still in play to choose which animals to place into the log. When animals come out of the log, he/she must scan the game board again to see if there is a match. I appreciate that there is the organized array on the game board and the messy array of the game tiles spread out on the table for the learner to practice scanning in multiple ways.
• Probability: As mentioned above, if a player spin and it lands on a number, the player gets to choose that number of animals to slide into the log. Players can look at their game board and see what animals they need, then choose those to slide into the log. But before they slide any animals in, I’ll ask them what animals they think will come out of the log. They have to attend to other players’ turns and remember what animals might be in there. The learners I used this with especially loved trying to guess if the skunk would be coming out next. Once they know a skunk has been placed in the log, the anticipation of seeing when it comes out increases the motivation in gameplay. In the beginning of the game, there is also a small window of practice for the probability of a card being pushed out of the other end of the log, since it starts out empty at the beginning of the game.

• Peer play: This has been a great game for encouraging play with peers, parents, and siblings because the learner with autism is frequently interested in attending to the the other players’ turns to see what animal comes out of the log.

Pros: The game is easy to learn but can practice a wide range of skills. The learners I used it with enjoyed the game and maintained motivation in it for long periods of time. With two learners, I used it with working on family interactions. The family members (both parents and siblings) were also motivated in the game and enjoyed seeing the learner with autism focused on the activity. Many of my learners also loved saying “Peeyou” every time the skunk appeared. This silly aspect of the game was motivating and shared interaction between the player with autism and the other people playing the game.

Cons: You may have to practice with your learner and add prompts to prevent them from picking up the log during gameplay. Two of my learners wanted to grab the log and look inside every time an animal came out. You may need to prepare in advance as described in the modification section above. I found that with one student I had to response block throughout the game, meaning that I had to keep my eye on him and physically place my hand in front of the log every time he reached for it, then redirect him to place his hands in his lap. While this is listed as a con, it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t play the game with your learner. It’s helpful to teach our young learners to differentiate circumstances in which you can and cannot pick up an item you want.

Cost: $16.99 You should invest in this game if: you are working with young learners, you are seeking materials to encourage peer play and social skills, you are in need of a game with an aspect of  cause and effect.

ABLLS: A8, A10, B5, C6, K8, K9, L4, Z25

VB-MAPP: VP-MTS 2, VP-MTS 6

**Skunk Bingo  was provided to me for free by the company Gamewright 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 Games: I Can Do That! Card Game

Age level: Preschool, Early Elementary

Description: This is one of my all-time favorite games. It’s a little card game that is actually a smaller version of the I Can Do That! Board Game, which I haven’t had the chance to play yet. It’s very simple to set up and tons of fun for preschoolers and early elementary students. Last week I played it with a four year old and his father. We were all cracking up at the silly shenanigans inspired by the cards!

The game includes a foam fishbowl, and three types of cards: red cards that tell you what action to take such as “tip toe” or “penguin walk,” blue cards that tell you where to go such as “to a bathtub” or “to a book,” and yellow cards that tell you what to do with the fish such as “with the fish under your chin.” You put those three cards together and end up with a specific instruction for your turn, such as “Penguin walk to the bathtub with the fish under your chin.” That sentence along should make it pretty clear why this game appeals so much to young learners.

Skills & Modifications: The instructions suggest that you arrange the cards facedown in a grid. When a player takes a turn, he/she must turn over three cards. If they do not get one of each color, they turn the cards back over, and it’s the next player’s turn. The game suggests that for young players, you should arrange the cards in a grid face up so they can choose one of each color. I like this modification because it allows learners to choose cards they comprehend and/or are motivated by. The modification I usually make is that instead of spreading out the cards in a grid, I make three stacks of cards divided by colors. Each player chooses one card from each pile for their turn instead of finding cards in the grid.

I also occasionally add in cards to work on the specific skills I am generalizing or maintaining with my student. Click here to see some suggestions for additions to each category of card.

Finally, I usually don’t  play this game with a winner. I find that the game is entertaining in the actions it creates and students enjoy it immensely. While I don’t believe we should play games in such a way that “everyone wins,” I sometimes feel that gamemakers tack on a method for winning (usually collecting the most cards or getting rid of your cards the fastest) out of a sense of obligation rather than because it is a logical conclusion to the game.

No matter how or if I modify the game, it is useful for practicing a variety of skills.

• Peer play – This is a great game for working on peer play because the actions that other players are taking are frequently interesting to learner with autism, increasing the likelihood that they will attend to other players’ turns. One of the learners I played this with was so excited about other players’ turns that he kept trying to turn over the cards to see what they would get!
• Gross Motor Skills – The game is designed to have fun a variety of gross motor skills. If there are gross motor skills on the cards that you know your learner cannot complete, you can remove those cards or you can add in cards with instructions you know they can complete.
• Expressive Language/Tacting – If you are working with a learner who does not yet know how to read, these cards are fantastic motivators for practicing tacting (or labeling) common objects and actions.
• Listening – For some students, we play this game as an activity for following multi-step directions. I’ll pick the cards, then tell them what do as a complete sentence, such as “Pick up the fish. Put it between your knees, then walk to the window.
• Prepositions – The yellow cards allow for students to practice following instructions involving prepositions such as between, in, on, or under.

Pros: This is a fun way to practice novel gross motor skills and bring out the silly side of kids. It’s also very easy to differentiate if you’re playing with a group. Based on skill level, you could play with multiple learners but have some imitate you doing the cards they chose, some use the pictures as prompts, and others read the cards for themselves or for the other players. My students are also usually highly motivated by the Cat and the Hat, so they enjoy the illustrations on all of the cards as well as the activity itself.

Cons: It’s possible to get a combination that is actually impossible to do, such as crab walk to the door with the fish on your arm. If you live in a place like New York, some cards are also not possible (particularly the one instructing the player to go to “three windows.”)

Cost: $9.99 You should invest in this game if: you’re looking for a fun game to get siblings involved in play with your learner with autism, seeking a game to practice gross motor skills, or trying to find a game for group activities.

ABLLS: A8, C27, C30, C33, D3, D4, D5, D7, D20, G4, G22, K5, K14

VB-MAPP: Tact 3, Tact 5, Motor Imitation 5, Tact 7, Tact 8, Tact 9, Listener Responding 9, Motor Imitation 8, Motor Imitation 10,  Listener Responding 12

Teach Through Toys: Move & Learn Math Activity Mats

Age level: Preschool, Early Elementary, Upper Elementary
Description: This set of “activity mats” contains large circular mats that can be spread around a room. Each mat has a number 0-9, and there are two of each number. The set also contains rules for ten different games you can play with the mats. The games practice a broad range of skills including multiplication skills, place value, and subtraction.
Modifications: All of the games in this set are designed for grades 1-4. However, it is quite simple to modify the activities for lower level learners. For example, you can have your students order the mats from smallest to largest, jump to a number that is more or less than the one the student is currently standing on, have your student find a number you have just named, or give your students objects to count out and place on each number (placing four cars on the number four.) For higher level learners, you can practice algebraic thinking by responding to questions such as “5 x __ = 20″ or fractions by responding to questions such as “Jump to the denominator for the fraction 3/5.”
For students working on interacting with peers, I will have the student give directions to a peer (such as “Jump to a number that is bigger than four.” and respond to directions from the peer. Depending on the student’s skill level, I will have them generate their own directions or I will provide directions for them to engage in the interaction.
Skills: Number Identification, Sequencing, Comparing Numbers, Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication, Division, Algebraic Thinking, Gross Motor Skills, Listening Skills, Manding
Pros: The biggest pro is that you can easily modify the materials for any skill level. I also love that you can practice such a wide range of math skills with a gross motor activity. This is great for your learners who struggle with maintaining attention, remaining seated during instruction, or holding a pencil. You can also play with more than one student, but easily differentiate it based on each student’s goals. This is especially great when working with siblings.
Cons: It is somewhat limiting to only have mats that go up to 9.
Cost: My set it discontinued. Should I buy this? However, Lakeshore Learning has a set that does have the numbers 1-20 with game cards. It is $40, which is a bit steep but you can create this game on your own. If it is a tool you think you will use frequently, it may be worth it to make the purchase because the mats are motivating for students, they are durable, and they have a non-slip surface on the bottom. Lakeshore also now has this product which has a variety of materials for gross motor activities involving math skills.
ABLLS: R6, R7, R8, R9, R10, R13, R14, R17, R18, R20, R29
VB-MAPP: Listener Responding 8, Social Behavior 9, Social Behavior 10, Math 11, Math 12, Math 14, Math 15

Teach Through Apps: Pepi Tree

Age level: Preschool, Early Elementary
Description: I cannot express how much I adore this app. It’s a beautifully designed and simple to use app that practices some basic preschool skills using the animals that all live in the same tree. The music and sound design app is also much better than most of the apps designed for young children, which frequently leaving me frantically searching for a mute button. It opens on an owl sitting in a tree. When your student touches the screen, it goes dark with a spotlight around the finger. The student searches for nocturnal animals in and around the tree, then matches them to their shape once found. After that, the child has an option to move up or down in the tree to discover more animals and activities with a variety of activities at each level. Children get to help a butterfly come out of it’s cocoon, help a spider build it’s web then catch bugs in it, and find the appropriate food for a family of squirrels that live in the tree. I also love that it is a natural conversation-starter for preschool science, and could follow or lead to outdoor activities.
Modifications: This is not an app that is easy to modify without taking control of the screen, which is the antithesis of what this app is created for. Some of the activities could be modified by showing prepared picture prompts of the activity before the student engages in the activity (such as pictures of what a squirrel does eat.)
Skills: Scanning, motor skills, picture comprehension, matching,
Pros: Again, great design. It offers a strong variety of activities and, as mentioned in the description section, it can follow or lead to outdoor activities. There are so few apps that connect science knowledge so well for preschool-aged children. The activities and design are strong enough that kindergarteners or slightly older students with developmental disabilities would still be engaged in the activities. It uses a child’s natural motivation to encourage skills that are difficult to teach for young students with significant delays, and the reinforcement for completing tasks is immediate and strong (such as when the child releases the butterfly from it’s cocoon – the music swells and the child can make the butterfly fly around the screen.) So many apps and other media designed for young children do strange things to “inspire a sense of wonder,” I love that this app inspires wonder about nature in a realistic way.
Cons: I can’t think of a single con.
Cost: $1.99 Should I buy this? If you have a preschooler or teach preschoolers, this is a great purchase.
ABLLS:
VB-MAPP: Listener Responding 5, VP-MTS 1, VP-MTS 5, VP-MTS 6

Teach Through Toys: Marble Run

Age Level: Preschool, early elementary, upper elementary
Description: There are many marble runs on the market. I have the Quercetti transparent marble run. I have had it for four years, and some pieces have started to break, but I put a lot of wear and tear on toys because I travel with them in my shoulder bag. With a marble run, kids put together tubes, chutes, spinning wheels, and more to send marbles through.
Modifications: What I love about this toy is that you can easily modify it for the needs of your students. I use this with my lowest functioning students who are nonverbal, because they are motivated to mand (or request) items/actions such as marble, track, or push. I also work with them on tracking the progress of the ball, grasping the ball with their finger and thumb, and playing appropriately with the toy for 1-5 minutes. It’s a good toy for working on beginning manding, as well. You can keep the ball out of sight, and have the student request it when they see it is missing. A toy like this is especially important for me, because I can use it to work on these low-level skills, but it is still age appropriate for some of my older students.  I use this with my highest functioning students to work on building complicated structures, following directions, and describing what just happened.
Skills: Manding (asking for items/actions), gross motor skills, understanding basic cause and effect, prepositions
Pros: For many of my students who are very low functioning, this is one of the few toys that is consistently motivating. It’s nice that you can change the way the structure looks each time you build it. It is also a great toy because it is easy to play with appropriately, compared to some toys that students with autism or other learning difficulties may play with in inappropriate or unusual ways.
Cons: For some students, it is difficult to build the structure since the pieces have to be fitted in a specific way. I have played with marble runs made by other companies, and some of them are difficult to take apart if the student wants to make a change. While this is a game that students can almost always play with appropriately independently, the marbles pose a choking hazard so students should always have supervision.
Cost: Varies based on what model you get. Should I buy this? A resounding yes. There are so many different marble runs to choose from and this is a toy that is always a big hit. There are some nice wooden marble runs that are a bit more expensive, and now there are also marble runs whose moving parts can be attached to the wall. I cannot stress enough how great a toy this has been for my early learners with autism, but it has also been motivating for my upper elementary students who are higher functioning.
ABLLS: A4, A5, A8, C6, F1, F2, F3, F4, F5, F6, F8, F9, G1, K5
VB-MAPP: Mand 2M, Mand 3M, VP-MTS 1M, VP-MTS 2M, Play 1M, Play 5M, Mand 6M, Mand 7M, Mand 8M

Teach Through Toys: Vilac Stacking Robots

Age level: Preschool, Early Elementary
Description: This set includes nine wooden robots that you can link with each other in a variety of ways with the goal of keeping all the robots balanced. It comes with images of shapes you can try to build from the robots, with three different levels of difficulty.
Modifications: This is not a game, but an activity that is quite simple to modify depending on the skills you are teaching and the abilities of your students.
Skills: Patterns (if you have more than one set), gross motor skills, prepositions, block imitation (or structural imitation)
Pros: Many kids are highly motivated by robots, so are more likely to attempt to balance the robots.
Cons: The design of the robots frequently requires kids to place two robots simultaneously in order to maintain the balance of robots placed lower in the stack. If your student has difficulty with motor tasks, this is not an activity they will be able to complete independently, and they may become frustrated even with assistance.
Cost: $26 Should I buy this? There are a few toys on the market similar to this. Schylling Bill Ding Stacking Clowns, Haba Animal Upon Animal, and Zimbbos are all available and less expensive than the Stacking Robots. But the Stacking Robots are the ones I have used for the past four years. They are durable and typically popular with my students in preschool and early elementary. It is definitely a purchase that has been well worth my while.
ABLLS: B4, B6, B9, B12, B22, K5, Z13
VB-MAPP: VP-MTS 13M, VP-MTS 15M, Listener 12M,  Math 13M

Teach Through Games: Roll & Play

Age level: Preschool
Description: In this game, toddlers can roll a giant colored die, then pick up a card that matches the color the die landed on. Each color is a category, such as counting, colors, or animals. For example, if the die lands on green, the child will pick up a green card (category:animals), they will see a picture of a lion, and underneath the picture it will say “ROAR like a lion.”
Skills & Modifications: Very few modifications are needed for this game because of it’s design. Skill categories included in the game are counting, animal sounds, identifying emotions, one-step directions, color identification, and body part identification. Below are listed additional skills I work on with my learners.

• Matching Colors – Part of the instructions for this game include matching the color you rolled with the color of the card you should pull.
• Picture Comprehension – The red and purple cards included in the game can be used to practice basic picture comprehension. For example, I’ll hold up the red card that shows a girl blowing a kiss and ask my student “What is the girl doing?” or “What is happening in this picture?”
• Motor Imitation – If I am playing it with multiple children, I will also use it as a tool for teaching imitation. To do this, the student who picks the card follows the card’s directions, then all other students have to attend to him and imitate what he did.
• Manding (Requesting) – You can also work on manding with this game by silently waiting until the student requests “my turn,” “roll the dice,” or “pick a card” before continuing on with the game.
• Sorting by Color – I frequently end this game by having students help me sort the cards by color to help in clean up.
• Any skill for early learners – That’s right, any skill! For many students who have mastered the skills addressed by this game, but are still motivated by the game itself I will just create cards to practice those skills. All I have to do is be sure the cards are still organized by category and are backed with one of the colors on the die. For example, in the past I have created my own cards for identifying shapes, identifying familiar people, or for simple addition problems. It’s also a great idea to make your own cards if you are working with multiple students and need to differentiate.

Pros: The game is great for toddlers or low level learners. The rules of the game are easy to follow and it moves at a quick pace. It targets multiple skills, and it mixes up those skills in the game. I also appreciate that the cards fit into a pocket on one side of the di, so it’s easy to store without losing pieces. Finally, the die is very large (6”x6”x6”) so it is easy to manipulate even for students with difficulties in motor skills.
Cons: I do wish there were more cards for each color so that there was more variety for students who have played it multiple times.
Cost: $20 Should I buy this? This is one of my favorite games for low level learners. However, compared to many other games, this one would be pretty easy to create on your own, either by sewing together your own plush die, or created one out of cardboard. That being said, the die included is high quality and has that pocket for stowing away the cards.
ABLLS: C9, C15, D4, D5, D9, D10, D11, D12, D22, D26, G13, G42, K8, K11, L5, L6, L9, M4, R1, Y8
VB-MAPP: Mand 4M, Mand 5M, Tact 2M, Tact 3M, Tact 4M, Tact 5M, Listener 4M, Social 1M, Social 5M, Imitation 1M, Imitation 2M, Imitation 4M, Echoic 1M, Listener 8M, VP-MTS 7M

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 Games: Red Rover

Age level: Preschool, Early Elementary
Description: A battery-operated talking dog that tells students which bone to put in his mouth. There are two levels. The first level just requests bones by color. The second level mixes it up: requesting bones by color, shape, number, and letter.
Modifications: You can play this game a variety of ways depending on what skill you need to focus on. It can be an independent task, a turn-taking game with one or more peers, or a race for students who are more capable in their listening skills. When you know a child is already motivated by this toy, you can modify it so that some of the bones are missing/hidden and the child has to mand (or request) that bone. Depending on that student’s skill level, I may only require them to look to me when they discover it is missing; I may require they say one-three words such as “want blue bone”; or I may require them to request the missing item with a complete sentences such as “Where is the blue bone?”
Skills: Listening, following one step directions, motor skills (placing bone in the mouth, pincer grasp), taking turns, manding (refer to modifications)
Pros: The game is easily modifiable. Highly motivating for 2-4 year olds. Requires little to no adult participation, allows for independence in play. Great game for including younger siblings of students with autism or other developmental delays in play. Also great game for young students with autism to play together. I also appreciate that if the student does not hear what Rover says, they can push his nose to have him repeat the direction. I also love any game that packs away nicely. All of the bones fit in Rover’s backpack, so you’re less likely to lose pieces over time!
Cons: For students who struggle with motor skills, it can be difficult to line up the bone correctly to place it in the mouth.
Cost: $20 Should I buy this? I think this is a great purchase. It is a huge motivator for many kids, and not a game you can easily reproduce on your own.
ABLLS: A8, A10, C8, C16, C17, C24, K5, K15, Z6, Z9
VB-MAPP: Listener 5M, Listener 6M, VP-MTS 2M, Mand 4M, Mand 5M, Mand 6M