Lindsey Finch

INTASC Standard #3: Learning Environment

The teacher works with others to create environments that support individual and collaborative
learning, and that encourage positive social interaction, active engagement in learning, and self
motivation.

Licensure/Content Standard #1b: Knowing and understanding the multiple influences on early
development and learning.
Licensure/Content Standard #5b: Knowing and using the central concepts, inquiry tools, and
structures of content areas or academic disciplines.
Licensure/Content Standard #6a: Identifying and involving oneself with the early childhood
field.

Description of Evidence and how it demonstrates the standard(s):

"The ABC Board Game" is a game I created for grades K-1. It is created to enhance letter
recognition skills and first letter sound fluency.

Implications for Future Teaching:

This board game was created behind the idea of game-based learning. I have always thought that
game-based learning is an important aspect of early childhood education because it teaches
children that learning can be fun and it motivates them to learn because they are actively
engaged. For this game, it starts as a matching game: the uppercase and lowercase cards are face
down on the floor/table and the student must find the matching uppercase and lowercase letter.
After they find the letter pair, they will look at the game board which has object cards facing up.
They must find the object card the starts with the letter pair that they found (e.g. Dd=dog). Once
they find the object that the letter starts with, they take the object card and place it in front of
them for their own collection pile of objects and they put the letters on the game board in place
of the object it started with. The letter matching addresses letter recognition of uppercase to
lowercase letters. Identifying the object with the letter addresses first sound letter fluency. When
I played this game with a Kindergarten class, it took them a while to catch on. I was restricted on
time so I was not able to spend much time explaining the rules of the game and demonstrating
how to play. In the future, I will set aside a good amount of time to make clear the expectations
of the game. In the lesson plan that goes with the board game, the third step of the game is to
write the letters that they find the pairs of on a piece of paper. I would take this step out next time
I play it with a class because there were too many parts to a game that is supposed to be fun and
simple. Having them write the letters confused them and disengaged them because they did not
see the game as fun anymore. It also took some of them a while to write their letters which
slowed down the flow of the game. However, they did enjoy the game and I will continue to use
it in my future classes.