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Games That Help Children Read

Besides building vital language skills, reading is beneficial to all children because it is an integral part to learning all subjects. Thankfully, there are now many tools available to parents and teachers alike that make learning to read much easier for children. While children can benefit from the traditional teaching methods in the classroom, games make the process fun for children, which effectively turns learning into child's play.

Math and Reading Help
- Math and Reading Help is an education website that contains many ways to assist children in developing their mathematical and reading skills. The games section of the site contains 10 different games to aid comprehension. Among these games is a version of "Hangman" that helps children try and understand words by guessing letters. This game works by enhancing letter recognition skills. Another game called "The Typing of the Ghosts" challenges children to spell words to defeat ghost enemies. This aids in sight word recognition as well as improve spelling skills.
  
  Another benefit of Math and Reading Help is that the site is free, making it an affordable option. The games listed above are suitable for children in elementary school, while other games and tools on the site are designed for older children.
Kaboose
- Another educational website, Kaboose offers free games centered on learning to read and increasing comprehension. Among them is "Begin With," a game that challenges children to look at items and click on them based on the letter they begin with. "Begin With" helps children associate visual images with their physical spelling, an important stepping stone to learning how to read. In another game, "Connect The Letters," children use letters to create a picture, while "Food Jumble" mixes up letters that children must rearrange to spell different food items. Both Connect the Letters and Food Jumble rely on letter recognition to teach children how to better utilize letters to create words.These games are just the tip of the iceberg, as Kaboose provides dozens of different variations to keep things fresh.
The Phonics Game
- The Phonics Game imparts the sounds of the letters as well as spelling rules using six fun games. Some games involve the use of cards, while others are accompanied by instructional video tapes. The Phonics Game also includes CD-ROM games to hone computer skills as well as audio CDs for increased comprehension.
Word Chase!
- Word Chase! is a popular board game that helps children read by introducing them to some of the most common words in the English language. Made for children ages four and older, it includes only lowercase letters because they are more commonly found. Spotlighting 25 common words, Word Chase! is a good starting point for children who are learning to read. A buzzing sound even lets children know if a letter is upside down, helping them to recognize the correct placement. Word Chase! is a fun way for kids to spend time with their parents while learning their sight words.

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