The Phonics Game

The Phonics Game (A Better Way of Learning, 1994, 1996, $228.13) kit contains 3 phonics video tapes, sev eral card games, a mirror, and a comprehension card game. Audio tapes and a book containing the pre-test and post-test, game rules, the 44 phonics rules, and hints for teacher and parent use are also included. The children listen to the video or audio tape to learn the letter sounds and phonics rules. Then a game is played which reinforces these rules. After each game, the children complete the spelling exercises or read the reading samples. An adult is needed to help children use this program. The pre-test and post-test consist of passages from second-grade McGuffey Readers-an antiquated reader used in the nineteenth century-and two content area passages from unknown sources. Before beginning the program, the child tapes a reading of the pre-test passages. After completing all of the phonics games, he or she tapes a reading of the post-test and "notice[s] errors, hesitations, miss-readings, etc." (p. 42). Joyce: The readability level, according to the Fry Readability Graph, is third grade for the pre-test...