We’ve been working on o-e words at our house. Here’s a fun, no prep game!
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I’ve shared a giant collection of phonics games and worksheets over the past few years. This game is part of a big collection of silent e games.
Whenever I tell my Five that we’ll be doing learning games after morning kindergarten, he asks, “Will we play Four in a Row?” It’s his favorite reading game. Mine, too!
Before we began the game, we reviewed o-e words with my free o-e phonics books and o-e fold and read cards. This was the second session we’d worked on o-e words, and he did much better than the last time. Yay!
To play, simply take turns reading the words and dotting with a Do-a-Dot marker. Whoever gets four in a row first, wins!
The first game starts simple, with CVCe words like rope and note.
The second game makes it harder by using words with beginning digraphs and blends. After one of us had won, my Five and I kept reading and dotting the remaining words. So much practice – and it takes so little time!
Game 3 goes back to CVCe words, but it also adds in CVC words (like job and pot). This does not make the game easier – it actually challenges kids to think about how to say each word instead of automatically saying the long o sound.
Finally, Game 4 adds short vowel words to the CCVCe words on the board.
This was actually the second time we’d played Four-in-a-Row with o-e words. The last time we played, he often misread the words, forgetting how to change the vowel when adding an e. This time he made hardly any mistakes at all! Woo hoo!
Have fun with these!
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Laurie Locke
Do you happen to have a blank Four in a Row gameboard that you would be willing to share. My kids love this and I would really like to be able to use it with my older kids when teaching other vowel patterns. Thank you for all the amazing worksheets,game,books,etc you have created. I appreciate it so very much.
Anna Geiger
HI Laurie!
Yes, I recently added one to this post: https://www.themeasuredmom.com/four-in-a-row-games-for-o-e-words/ I don’t yet offer editable templates, but you can print it and write in the words.
Laurie Locke
Thank you, Anna!
sandy beck
I used your blank board and wrote sight words in them for my 1st grade reading intervention group. I have never seen them have so much fun. Kids who are afraid to read were eager to play and kept asking for more boards. Thank you for a great idea. I will be using this game for other skills.
Anna Geiger
This made me SO happy to hear, Sandy! Thanks for taking the time to tell me!
Regina
Hello! I am a teacher teaching English in Korea.
Last week, I gave my students the worksheet on ay &ai and they were so excited to do so.
This week I am teaching long o sound like ow, oa, so I wonder if you have the worksheet on long o.
I really like this website and it is very helpful. Thank you for your great materials!!
Anna G
I’m so glad you’re finding things here you can use, Regina!
Chukusa Kingsley
Thanks to you Anna for your immeasurable contribution towards learning. I and my wife are establishing a nursery school and non of us is an English major. How can you help us with scheme for teaching nurseries 1-3.
Anna G
Hello! I’m sorry that I’m not able to offer detailed curriculum support. But if you have a specific question about teaching, I can try to point you in the right direction. 🙂
Laurie Locke
Hello Anne,
I know you gave us an editable version of the Four in a Row Game at one point, but I cannot seem to locate it any more. Can you help?
Anna G
Yes, it’s in the subscriber library. 🙂