2nd Year at Tamaki Primary- Board Games

Having the same group of boys for the 2nd year was the perfect opportunity to further develop the boys play skills. I really wanted to develop their ability to play board games as I had removed them from my learning rotations the previous year. I really believe board games can improve student achievement but had removed them from my literacy and maths programmes due to behaviour. I was ready to try again based on the success of LEGO club! 

We taught the boys how to play a variety of board games based on their ability - snakes and ladders, connect 4, junior monopoly and junior scrabble. We introduced the rules of the games slowly so it wasn't too overwhelming and we used visuals to help with communication.  

                                                      

 








We were again faced with challenging behaviour, out bursts and meltdowns for a long time while students learnt to transfer the skills learnt at LEGO club. It was a challenge for the students to accept being patient and waiting for their turn, loosing and adapting to the   rules for a new game. 

By the end of the year, I could include these games into my literacy and maths rotations, knowing it would end in a successful session. The adult support was minimal by the end of the year and often we could watch from a distance. 

                                   

The most amazing outcome of this learning was that by the end of the year, three of the students frequently asked to play these games in their free time and two of them used the wall displays to make their own scrabble games!!