Multisensory games teach children to read, write and spell by using more than one of their senses. In most learning environments, like the traditional classroom, learning is done by using hearing or sight, but it may be difficult for children with language disabilities to use one or both of these senses. Multisensory games incorporate listening, looking, touching, moving and speaking to encourage higher retention. They allow individuals to use and rely on their own personal area of strength, or learning style, to master basic language skills and overcome their language disability.
Individuals who have a particularly difficult time reading most likely have problems understanding the relationship between letters and speech sounds, and they also struggle to hear, separate and manipulate the individual sounds in words. Reading games allow these individuals to practice decoding and familiarizing themselves with high-frequency words in a fun way. Card games are a popular kind of reading game, and there are a large variety available that look to achieve specific goals; some focus on vowel sounds, other focus on patterns of letters, and still others focus on consonant-vowel sounds.
Spelling is often the greatest challenge for those with language disabilities. Many of these individuals rely on their visual memory to help them through this task, but if not trained properly, the visual memory may not be a reliable crutch. Spelling games incorporate elements of word memorization, sight word methods and visual spelling instruction to ensure that the crutch becomes an unwavering, firm foundation. Games focus on creating associations between letter sequence and word meaning, on using patterns, colors and symbols to help students memorize letter placement, and on encouraging longer visual-spatial processing to help with imprinting.
Children with language disabilities are prone to stuttering and poor articulation; they may also incorrectly elongate or shorten syllables. In many cases, these problems relate to poor vocabulary and a lack of confidence. It follows that speech games center around building an individual's general knowledge and boosting his self-image. Tongue twisters are a fun way to improve articulation, and playing 20 Questions is a fantastic way to build vocabulary and encourage expressive language.