GRANDPA'S GREAT ESCAPE - 12 SPOONS CARD GAMES - Decoding/Encoding

These games will improve fluency leading to better comprehension when you are reading Grandpa’s Great Escape by David Walliams. There are 66 Chapters and the game targets three syllable words in blocks of five chapters. It has themes around World War II, London, the military, death and dementia (treated with dignity by the author). It is a work of fiction and its appeal is the fun that Jack and his grandfather get up to, but its underlying message is unconditional love and acceptance.

The skills targeted are construction and deconstruction of multisyllabic words specifically for those students who balk at longer words and usually guess and read on. The high engagement this game provides means those students are deconstructing and constructing these words over and over. This is the repetition they need, and that only a game will provide. Students of all abilities will benefit through improved fluency and comprehension will be the winner.

Players need to make a word from the Word List (deconstruction and syllabication) and the ability to construct a word (through phonemic sequencing). They have five cards with a syllable on each. They only need three of those cards to win. Most of the words I have chosen are easily decoded, but a few are not, e.g., man-oeu-vre. I should add that enjoying games is a prerequisite, but this game will motivate the most reluctant player because it is so much fun.

The strategies this game teaches are particularly relevant for students with dyslexic characteristics. These students typically don’t enjoy reading. Research tells us that about 10% to 20% of the population are dyslexic. Not all are easily identifiable . When all students play this game they are having fun and practising skills. The more they play, the more progress they will make. When you take the time to make these games you will use them over and over.

There are twelve games with 36 cards (12 words) in each game. You can combine sets and even select relevant cards to target particular words or eliminate any cards you don’t want to use All cards are in black and white with grey edges.

Please be aware I have separated the words into three parts that should be more easily decoded in general, but not necessarily following syllabicating rules.