Early Literacy Game: Thumbs Up or Thumbs Down

In this week’s blog post, we have another fun literacy game you can play with your kiddo. This game, called Thumbs Up or Thumbs Down, is a great way to boost those pre-reading skills that are so important to your child’s development into a skilled reader. Like all of the games we highlight here, you can adapt this one to your child’s ability level as they progress.

Thumbs Up or Thumbs Down

Ability level: pre-reader

Directions: Start by telling your child two words or by showing them two objects. When the two words start with the same sound, have your child give a thumbs up! If they don’t start with the same sound, that deserves a thumbs down.

Examples:

Thumbs Up

  • Turtle & Top

  • Ball & Box

  • Cat & Kitten

  • Chair & Chin

  • Apple & Alligator

  • Thumb & Thirty

Thumbs Down

  • Turtle & Dog

  • Ball & Pail

  • Cat & Mouse

  • Apple & Ape

  • Thumb & Hand

Benefits: This interactive game from Scholastic helps your child develop important awareness of the different sounds within words. Thumbs Up and Thumbs Down is a fun way to help your little one increase that awareness, an important pre-reading skill.

Be sure to follow along to catch the next game. In the meantime, have fun! If you would like more information about other fun early literacy games, check out sightwords.com.

United Way of Central New YorkPreschoolers, Toddlers