Download Spelling & Phonics - Coxsackie Elementary School

Spelling & Phonics
Gamification and Quest Based Learning
Not just playing games to learn,
but making learning a game.
Dr. Chris Haskell of Boise State
& a system of “experience points”
I was first introduced to gamification by Dr. Chris
Haskell at the 2011 Games in Education
Symposium. Now, over 1,000 classrooms are
using a gaming model with excellent results.
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Students engage more with material to be learned.
Children have more choice & opportunity for success.
The ability to “win” is always possible.
Honors personal best not just the best.
A System of “Experience Points”
I am introducing this in a small scale project for spelling
and phonics.
In a traditional program, children practice and work
with words and are then tested on those words. They
begin with a score of 100% and points are deducted for
each error.
In my classroom, students begin with 0 points, like in
game play, and earn points for each completed “quest”.
A System of “Experience Points”
Each “quest” is worth 10 points; this corresponds with
and supports our math goals.
Each student will be challenged to earn a minimum of
100 points per week. They earn points by completing
“quests” best suited to their learning needs and styles.
“Quests”
In School
At Home
• Complete a spelling or phonics
station. 10 points each
• Use a spelling word correctly
during journal writing. 20 points
(Student must bring it to the
teacher’s attention.) This is
worth extra points because
application/use is the true goal!
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Mandatory
Write a sentence for each spelling
word. 4 sentences = 10 points
Email or tweet a picture of your
child practicing their spelling
words: with magnets, chalk, paint,
shaving cream, veggies, sand, etc.
10 points each
Make a word collage using
spelling words cut from
magazines, food packages, or
newspapers.
Tic-Tac-Toe writing words in place
of x & o
• Demonstrate learning on a 4 word test. Ten points for each word.
• “Chunk” challenge: spell as many words as you can with the targeted
spelling pattern or “chunk”. 10 points each word
“More Quest Ideas”
Write the words in...
• shaving cream
• sand
• salt
• finger paints
• pudding
Write the words with...
• crayons
• markers
• colored pencils
• water
• chalk
• with a flashlight on the wall in
the dark
Shape the words with...
Legos
dough
yarn
Build the words with...
magnetic letters
Scrabble tiles
cereal
letter beads
Illustrate the words...
Changes
This system is new and may require modifications
during the year, especially if it is not meeting the
children’s learning needs and grade level requirements.