A content analysis of reading games

Includes bibliographical references (pages 67-71)This study was conducted to show the importance of\ud commercially prepared reading games and their uses as an\ud educational tool in the classroom. The salient points were\ud developed in a content analysis of reading games and their\ud relationship to a standardized reading test.\ud With the objective of measuring the difference between\ud pretest and posttest reading scores on two groups of students within an eighth-grade basic reading class, the students were exposed to a programmed read.ing series and games. The final phase of the study dealt with the popularity of reading games a.s evidenced :from student. Preferences and :frequency selection. The sample of five\ud commercially prepared reading games consisted of Scrabble for Juniors, Scrabble Sentence Cubes, Scrabble Crossword\ud Cubes, Peg-Grams, and Inword.\ud Upon completion of the study, the reading games,\ud which were analyzed as to content, were shown to improve\ud vocabulary and comprehension skills. The selected reading\ud games all emphasized skills in word building and attack.\ud The group that played games three days a week and used a\ud programmed reading series twice a week produced higher\ud standard reading scores than the group using a programmed\ud reading series at least three days a week. As indicated\ud by student preferences, the order of popularity among the\ud sample of five games was: Scrabble Crossword Cubes,\ud Scrabble for Juniors, Scrabble Sentence Cubes, Peg-Grams,\ud and Inword. \ud Based on the findings, the following conclusions are\ud advanced.\ud 1. Reading games can teach certain reading skills inherent to the game itself.\ud 2. Reading games appear to influence standardized reading test scores by reinforcing vocabulary and comprehension skills.\ud 3Reading games may facilitate learning by supplementing programmed readers with a pleasurable approach to\ud educating students with reading disabilities