Review of The Reading Game

The Reading Game, which I received free in exchange for my review, is a fun memory-style card game created by the author of Wordly Wise.  Through an iterative learning process, children learn progressively more challenging sets of words in game sessions that result in winners almost continuously.  The fact that there is always a new winner means that kids don't get discouraged! The fact that the game is played in a familiar format, but with the addition of beautiful storybooks, means that kids have a great time.

The first thing you will notice about The Reading Game is its quality.  If you're anything like me, you get discouraged by how quickly the boxes on your kids' games seem to disintegrate, first splitting at the corners, and then ripping up the sides.  That is not going to happen with The Reading Game.  Everything from the box to the softcover storybooks to the laminated and damage-resistant cards is of the highest quality. This is a game that will stand the test of time.  If you happen to be fortunate enough to have younger readers in your home, you will be using this game quite frequently!


The Reading Game works by telling six stories, each only using 30 words.  By breaking these down into six sets of five, students learn the new words quickly through the frequent exposure gained by seeing them in the memory matching game.  To see a quick, one minute demonstration of how this game works, watch this video: How The Reading Game Works

While all of my children are proficient readers, they still liked playing this game.  A couple of them said that they would have loved learning to read this way.  I'll admit that, while I found the pace a little slow (which is good! I would be worried otherwise!), I definitely think that this game would help teach a child to read.  Of course, it is not the only reading instruction needed; a solid phonics-based approach is still, I think, a necessity for reading excellence.  However, in terms of giving kids confidence in recognizing sight words and making them feel that they can actually sit down and read a book, this game can't be beat.

The Reading Game is recommended for kids 4+ and is for two players.  The most important factor in using it, though, is not age, but reading readiness.  Also, there are many ways you could use the cards and books outside the context of the game, so don't hesitate to buy it just because you only choose games the whole family (or more than two members of the family) can play.  The game retails for $24.95.  For more information, visit their website and, as always, check out the Crew blog.