Children generally enjoy playing a memory game. Use sight words to create an educational memory game for students. Select 10 to 20 sight words students have learned. Cut out even squares or rectangles for the game cards from card stock paper or construction paper. Write each sight word legibly on two cards to create pairs. The cards can also be created on the computer and printed. Consider laminating the cards to make them more durable.
To play the game, mix up the cards and arrange them on a hard surface in an orderly fashion, with the sight words facing down. Students take turns overturning two cards. When students overturn a pair, they collect the pair. If the overturned cards do not match, they must be returned face down in their original location. The student who collects the most pairs wins the game.
Write a list of bingo words you want to include in the game. Create bingo cards using sight words, instead of numbers in the columns or letters across the top. Remember to differentiate the words on each card so the whole class does not get a bingo at the same time. If you are using 40 sight words, put 20 or more random words from the list on each card. Write each word on the list on another piece of paper and cut each word out, putting it in a hat or bowl that can be used to draw words out of.
To play the game, hand out bingo sheets to the class. Draw a sight word out of the hat or bowl and announce the word to the class. Put the word in a sentence to help students differentiate between homophones. Students having the word on their bingo sheets will mark the square containing the word with a pen or pencil. The first student to mark an entire row on the sheet calls out "Bingo!" and wins the game.
Draw a completed stick figure, Bob, on the marker or chalk board, indicating what the completed stick figure will look like. To add more excitement to this game, allow students to take turns deciding what Bob will look like (different hair, big feet or an extra arm) each turn. Draw a large box, where the same stick figure (the new Bob) will be drawn piece by piece throughout the game. Demonstrate the first round of the game to the class. Select a sight word and mark appropriate spaces for each letter next to the box. Ask students to call out letters in the alphabet that they think might be included in the mystery word. If the letter is not a part of the word, write the letter in a designated spot on the board so students know that letter is not included and draw one body part for the stick figure Bob. If the letter is included in the mystery word, write it in the corresponding space. Do this until the word is formed or the stick figure Bob is fully drawn. The object of the game is for the class to guess the mystery word before Bob is complete.
Once students grasp this game, they can play in pairs at their desks using personal marker or chalk boards, or even playing the game on a piece of paper.
Write sight words on flash cards and select something that can be used as game tokens, such as beans or construction paper cutouts. Stand in front of students and show them one flash card at a time. The first student to read the word correctly receives a game token. Whoever has the most game tokens at the end of the game is the winner.