Children and Scrabble: the perfect combination
Scrabble was a tradition in my family. From the moment I could barely see the board from my vantage point at the edge of the table, I witnessed the subtle strategies used by my older brother and sisters in the game. I dreamed of the day when I was old enough to play, how I would dazzle everyone with my victory! But that day was late in coming. If there is one game that makes children feel left out, it is Scrabble. Because it requires reading, spelling and vocabulary skills, many parents think that Scrabble is not for the little ones. Think again! Parents these days can easily introduce the game to a four or five year old. With a little time and effort, they can help children develop advanced skills that many adults do not know.
After the Official Scrabble Player’s Dictionary, the best Scrabble tool introduced by Hasbro in recent years is Scrabble Junior Edition. This is by far the best way to introduce Scrabble to your four year old. The game resembles normal Scrabble, which gets children used to the fluidity of the game. First, the children draw seven tiles of the pool. Taking turns, they tile their shelves to match the letters on the board. Letter by letter, they eventually spell entire words, earning points. By the end of the game, they will have used over a hundred tiles to work out a variety of different words. Few preschool teachers could match that for reading practice!
Children who have mastered this simplified version can “move on” to the next level of play by flipping the game board to reveal another basic version of the classic Scrabble game. Using this board and modified scoring rules, children progress in difficulty and skill level.
By age eight, most children will be ready for regular Scrabble. Don’t get caught up talking about rules and strategies at first. Just walk in and let your child experience the game for himself. Even better, you can play against an opponent as a team, allowing the child to suggest plays and explain tactics as the game progresses. Even if it’s not the best play, use your child’s suggestions from time to time to make him feel like a valued member of the team and experience the win or failure of a play firsthand. Having a teammate to share the disappointment will help when the moves are unsuccessful or when the child does not win.
Particularly in their early years, allow children to use a dictionary while playing. A variation of the rule that was used in my house as a child was that players were allowed to “browse” the dictionary for word choices as long as it was not their turn. In this way, young players did not get bored waiting for their turn, while acquiring great learning ability! Dictionaries are an excellent safety net and using them can help children expand their vocabulary base.
Outside of the actual game, there are some games you can teach that will help children hone their Scrabble skills. Using the Scrabble tiles, have your child spell his name. Add up the score. Then, spell out the other names of friends and family, cities, states, countries, or other favorite words, adding and comparing the scores for each. Play for fun, taking away the competitive edge, and allow the child to explore the value of different word choices.
Few skills are more important than anagrams for a beginner at Scrabble, and this is a skill you may want to explain as your child progresses. Give them a word and a time limit, and challenge them to find five, ten, twenty, or even more words using only the given letters. As they improve, encourage them to find more extensive options, perhaps even offering them a reward for using all the letters. I have used this game frequently in the elementary classroom when my class is waiting in line and I still have not found a young person who does not like it. Students especially love comparing their lists. If you have found a word that no one else found (or a word that I did not find) it is especially rewarding.
You may be surprised how quickly your child learns more advanced strategies after introducing Scrabble in this way. More importantly, you will develop an interest in word games, which are infinitely more valuable than alternative interests in television and video games. Go ahead and invite your child to a game of Scrabble – it will be a perfect match!
Copyright 2006 Emma Snow