Why You Should Use Games in Your Reading Instruction

Have you ever looked around during intervention and thought… “My students are tuning out. Again.”

If you’ve felt that frustration, you’re not alone. Reading intervention is hard for students. We’re asking them to practice skills that have always been tough for them: decoding tricky words, applying spelling rules, and building fluency. Without engagement, the work feels tedious. And without repetition, the skills won’t stick.

So how do we solve both problems at once? Games.

Why Games Work

1 - Games make repetition fresh

Students need multiple exposures to master a skill, sometimes dozens. Worksheets alone won’t get them there (and we are not against worksheet style work, it works…just not for the amount of repetition students need). Games provide that repetition, but in a way that feels novel each time.

2 - Games boost engagement

The brain loves novelty, choice, and challenge. When students are having fun, they’re also building memory pathways that make learning stick.

3 - Games create positive associations

For many students, reading has been a source of stress. Games flip the script — suddenly, reading can feel fun, collaborative, and confidence-building. Even older students engage more when you can transition something that typically feels boring, into fun.

Where Games Fit in Instruction -

This is important: games are not a replacement for instruction. They’re a reinforcement tool.

Think of your lessons in three stages:

1. Explicit Instruction — teach the concept clearly and directly.

We always want to start with systematic and structured instruction. For example, if we were teaching about open syllables. We would start by explaining that open syllables occur when you have one vowel that is left “open” or free at the end of the syllable like in the words “go” or “we.”

2. Structured Practice — give students controlled opportunities to apply the skill.

Next, we would have students practice identifying open syllables by marking those syllables in a set of provided words so they could see exactly what that would look like.

3. Games for Reinforcement — provide repetition and review in an engaging way.

Then, once students have received the explicit instruction and structured practice, we would begin to cycle games in as a way to review the concepts until they’re solidified. This cycle ensures that games aren’t just “filler” at the end of a lesson. They’re a strategic tool to help students solidify what they’ve learned.

Why Games Matter for Teachers Too

Here’s the honest truth: games don’t just benefit students. They benefit you.

I started leaning on games because I was bored. My students were dragging, I was dragging, and I knew something had to shift. I mean, if I’m bored, I’m sure they are too! When I added games, I suddenly had a room full of students laughing, competing, and staying focused, and I felt energized teaching again.

That’s the secret: games bring fun back to both sides of the lesson. Because let’s face it, these concepts are boring!!! We can’t help it, they just are!

So there you have it…

Games should not be fluff in your instruction. They’re one of the best ways to:

• Keep students engaged.

• Provide repetition for your students.

• Differentiate without adding extra prep.

• Bring joy back to your teaching.

So here’s your challenge: the next time you grab a word list, don’t just drill it. Turn it into a game, roll a die, make it into Tic-Tac-Toe, or use it for a quick round of Word War. Notice how the energy shifts.

Want More?

You can dig even deeper in our Spotlight PD: The Literacy Game Plan: Using Games to Teach, Engage, and Differentiate.

We’ll walk you through the full framework, share ready-to-use templates, and help you design your own Literacy Game Plan so you head into your instruction with practical, fun tools for your students.

Because if you’ve ever watched a student shut down the moment the word review leaves your mouth…

If you’ve ever wished your kids didn’t look at you like you just assigned them a lifetime of worksheets…

If you’ve ever thought, There has to be a better way to help them get the repetitions they need…

You’re absolutely right. Because here’s the thing,

Mastery requires repetition. Repetition requires motivation. And motivation requires engagement.

Structured literacy gives us the “what.” Games give us the “how.”

You can also check out our favorite games in our shop to see what a massive shift games can create in your instruction!