• Kinesthetic/Hands on Learners

• History of the game

• Learning to read with phonics verses word memorization

• How to use this game in a class room setting

• Teaching comprehension

• Gift Idea

• Fund raiser

• Why should learning phonics be fun?

• Frequently Asked Questions

Kinesthetic/Hands on Learners

Kinesthetic learners learn best by moving their bodies, activating their large or small muscles as they learn. These "hands-on learners" or "doers" concentrate better and learn more easily when movement is involved. The following characteristics are often associated with kinesthetic learners-you may see some of these characteristics in your child if you've been struggling with typical phonics lessons.

1. Kinesthetic learners often wiggle, tap their feet, or move their legs when they sit.

2. Kinesthetic learners were often labeled "hyperactive" as children. 

3. Because they learn through movement, kinesthetic learners often do well as performers: athletes, actors, or dancers.

4. Kinesthetic learners work well with their hands. They may be good at repairing work, sculpting, art, or working with various tools.

5. Kinesthetic learners are often well coordinated and have a strong sense of timing and body movement.

Ring Around the Phonics is the perfect program for teaching "hands on learners" how to read.  The very essence of the game encourages  getting the child to move, whether he is moving the game piece, rolling the die, or playing the activity cards. 

History of the game
When I worked in the public school system as a teachers aid, I was given several children who had not learned to read as had the rest of their class. They were in the midterm of first grade, and were expected to be retained because of their inability to read. I was instructed to teach them to read, and when they were doing so, the teacher would start working with them again in her reading group.

Their self esteem was at a low, because they knew they had not performed as expected. As a result they showed many of the problems that go along with low self esteem. They were at the bottom of the class totem pole. I recall one bright child, who was simply a hands on learner. He was a farm boy who often helped around the farm by driving the tractor. His grandparents let him drive an old car around their property. He was having more trouble than the others with his reading, so he was at the bottom of the bottom of this totem pole.

We started out by using the curriculum the rest of the class had learned to read with. As this boy began to read, one of the other boys called him a dummy. His little face dropped, and not a sound came out of him. I replied, "Oh no, he is quite smart. Did you know that he can drive?" His eyes grew large as he lifted his head, and looked at me with a surprised look. This suddenly gave him status in this group. Most of these children were capable of learning to read. I could not give up on them.

The curriculum was not working for these kids. What was needed was something that involved all the learning styles, was fun, brought quick results, and would be a win-win situation. Thus, (through a dream) evolved an early version of Ring Around the Phonics board game.

I began by telling them, they could belong to a secret club, called the American Club, and it had a secret code that we were going to learn. The secret code was the phonics sounds of course, but they were not told that. They were also told that once they had all learned the code, we would all read the first book together, but not before. This I chose to do because I wanted to create a win-win (team) situation for them rather than a competitive one.

As they progressed along the board saying the sounds, they began to assist each other. Often I had to instruct them to keep quiet and let each player say the sound by themselves. They were anxious to read, and kept asking me to do so. I reminded them that everyone had to learn the sounds first. We would all do it together (It is not necessary to do this in all situations, but it seemed right for this group). When the time came, I moved aside the board, and passed them all a book. They were so excited!

I wish you could have been there to see. They took turns reading, and as each child read, they frequently paused, and hugged themselves with an uncontrollable giggle. As each one read, the giggles turned into group laughter. It was truly more fun than I can explain.

As soon as I had them reading, I informed the teacher. She apparently did not believe me until they passed the reading test at the end of the year, because she never did take them back into her reading groups.

As a result of Ring Around the Phonics almost all of these children (including the little farm boy) caught up with their peers and graduated that year with their class.

Many years later my daughter was looking for something to help her son learn to read, and wasn't finding what she wanted. I told her about this game. She took it, added more fun activity and rewards (She is gifted that way), and taught her son to read. She also added specially designed first readers, and detailed parent guides. She shared the idea with several friends. You will find some of their comments on our web site www.ringaroundthephonics.com .

Many children have benefited from this game, so we decided to make it available to more children. It needed to be fun, involve all the learning styles, get quick results, be user friendly, create a win-win situation, and be very versatile. Thus, you see the final version of Ring Around the Phonics. May it bless your children for many years yet to come.    Back To Articles List

Learning to read with phonics verses word memorization
Children who are taught to read by memorizing the words, rather than being taught phonics may do well until about the fourth grade. At that time most begin laboring with their reading. In elementary school, I was one of those statistics.

I began having difficulty in the third grade. It was easy memorizing a few words. But as the number of words increased, so did the difficulty. By the time I reached senior high, I knew that I needed to do something before college. My grades were fine, but it took me forever to read my lessons.

I did not like reading, and only did it because I was serious about my grades and education. So, I enrolled in a speed reading class. My speed in reading picked up only slightly, while most of the other students picked up a lot. It was very discouraging because I did not really understand what the problem was until I had to help my children learn phonics.

It was like the missing link in the chain. My speed in reading picked up tremendously, and it became less laborious to read. However, to this day I never read for pleasure, as do my daughters.    Back To Articles List

How to use this game in a class room setting
Ring Around the Phonics is designed to be very flexible. You, the educator, are in the best position to know what your children need. The following information will help you use this game in the classroom setting:

1. Please feel free to contact us if you need more pawns and rings.

2. Not all of the game cards are suitable in every situation. Some children are more active than others. Feel free to use the cards that are best suited for your class room.

3. Each level has custom designed books to go with that particular level. However, once all three levels are in your possession, feel free to rearrange the sequence of the static cling letters so that you can use any beginning readers you choose.

4. This game was originally developed for a group of public school children that were having difficulty learning to read. It works very well in class room reading groups. To build self esteem, you will find that there are several reading rewards along the way, and everyone is a winner as they progress along the game board.

5. To build confidence we have designed the game so children can begin reading quickly. If you choose to use books other than those that come with the game this may not be the case.    Back To Articles List

Teaching comprehension
Too often comprehension tests are used to teach comprehension. These tests are more effective in finding out the child's level of understanding what they have read, rather than teaching comprehension. Here are some important tips for teaching this skill.

1. The child should know all the basic phonics sounds and should be reading well, before teaching comprehension. Teaching too much at one time can be overwhelming. We will be providing a fun educational program, for comprehension, at a later date.

Comprehension curriculum should teach children to remember what they are reading. So, be sure to check our web page for more curriculum.

2. One fun and exciting way to teach this skill is to have children pick out characters in the book that they are reading. Frequently ask them to act out what they have just read. The whole family/ group can get involved, making this fun for the child    Back To Articles List

Gift Idea
Thinking about a gift idea? Give the gift that lasts a life time . . . the gift of reading.    Back To Articles List

Fund raiser
Looking for a fund raiser? If your group is looking for a fund raiser, feel free to contact us. Giving the gift of reading is a great fund raiser for any type of educational group.    Back To Articles List

Why should learning phonics be fun?
So many parents and teachers have used flash cards to teach phonics. If your child is enjoying this approach, then please continue. However, if you and your child are struggling with this method, you will definitely benefit from this game. Reading is the most important precursor to your child's education. Children who enjoy reading early tend to enjoy reading as teens and adults. The more your child reads the more he or she learns. Reading is fun and exciting and should be taught as such.

Be leery of other phonics programs that claim to be games. Make sure they are not just glorified flash cards. We at Ring Around the Phonics take our fun learning very seriously which makes your job easier.    Back To Articles List