Explaining the rules

Learners will make much more progress if you read the rules out loud to them. When learners don’t hear the rules out loud, they often make incorrect assumptions about how to play, and fail to learn the concepts.

When reading the rules, it helps to start by saying “We’re going to play _____” or “Let’s play _____” and mention the title of the game. The title is located at the top of the page. It communicates the big-picture goal.

It is often helpful to have learners try out a sample turn while you are reading the rules.This is a good opportunity for you to say the sentence frame out loud and give an example of how to use it. The sentence frame is located right under the title. It helps learners focus their attention on the key concept.

Learners should have a chance to ask questions before play begins.

If you feel that your learners need to hear only part of the rules, that is fine. Some games include extra information to make sure that you have access to answers for questions that may come up.

Next section: Can we change the rules?

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August 7, 2020