GB2399212A

GB2399212A - An educational card game to aid reading and spelling and a method of playing such game

Info

Publication number: GB2399212A
Application number: GB0301785A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Graham Major
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2003-01-27
Filing date: 2003-01-27
Publication date: 2004-09-08
Anticipated expiration: 2023-01-27
Also published as: GB0301785D0; GB2399212B

Abstract

An educational aid and/or game consists of cards with spaces or blank areas for letters to complete or form words, a card holder containing at least two numbered sections to hold the cards. The cards may contain pictures as well as letters. A numbered die or dice is used, the numbers corresponding to those on the sections. When the die is thrown, the number shown indicates from which section a card should be removed. A player holds a predetermined number of separate letter tiles which are held in a separate holder. The letters can be placed on the spaces of the cards to complete or form words.

Description

À '' e e À À À' À À À À 239921 2 PAGMBA209

EDUCATIONAL AIDS AND GAMES

The present invention relates to educational aids and in particular the invention relates to aids for reading and spelling. In another embodiment the invention relates to games, which may or may not be computerized.

The present invention provides a series of cards containing two or more spaces upon which letters can be placed, a holder for some or all of the cards comprising more than one numbered sections for receipt of the cards, a dice provided with numbers corresponding to the numbered sections in the holder, holders for the letters for each player and a collection of individual letters.

The invention further provides a method wherein a predetermined number of letters are provided to two or more players and a series of cards containing two or more spaces which may or may not contain letters are placed, face down, in piles in numbered sections of a card holder a dice provided with numbers corresponding to the numbered sections in the card holder is rolled and a card is retrieved from the section of the holder corresponding to the number exposed by the dice after rolling, the card is placed face upwards by the recipient of the card who, if able, supplies letters to the card to complete or form a word on the card and/or to match letters on the card and additional letters are obtained to replace those supplied to the card.

In a preferred embodiment some of the spaces on the cards already contain letters, which may be covered by the letter from the participant whereas the remaining spaces on the card may be blank for the receipt of letters to complete a word using the letters already contained in some of the spaces. In operation the game is played by a number of people who roll the dice in sequence so that on the first roll of the dice each player will have one card exposed in front of them and each round of the game provides an additional card in front of each player thus increasing the number of vacant spaces available and so increasing the likelihood of the player being able to use at least one of his/her supply of letters.

As a further learning aid, some or all of the cards may be provided with one or more pictures of the word or words or alternative words that can be produced on the card. In addition to cards provided with the pictures, the card may be provided with one or more letters of the word in one or more of the spaces. In this way the picture and optionally the letters can be used to help the player formulate the word that is desired on the card.

The number of spaces on the cards the number of letters to be provided to each player and the criteria for winning or completion may be varied according to the age and experience of the À . À # À c À À À . PAGMBA209 players. For example cards with spaces for three letters, the provision of five letters to each player and the winner being the first participant to complete two or three cards can be appropriate to help children below the age of eight develop reading skills.

In a preferred embodiment the letters are tiles, which are contained within a container such as a bag where the letters cannot be seen by the participants. In a further embodiment each participant may be provided with a rack for their tiles whereby their tiles can be displayed to themselves but not to the other participants.

The card holder may contain any number of sections for receipt of the cards and the number of sections used can be varied according to the number and age and experience of the participants. The holder may contain 2 to 6 sections although we have found however that when used as a learning aid for young children three or four sections is appropriate. As a further embodiment of the invention if all the cards have been removed from a particular section of the holder and a participant rolls the dice and produces the number of the section of the holder from which all the cards have been removed the participant may be required to exchange the number of letters in his or her possession corresponding to the number rolled on the dice with the same number of tiles in the main tile container.

As a further embodiment a participant who is unable to place letters on a card may be entitled to exchange letters in his or her possession with letters in the main tile container. In a preferred embodiment, the number of letters exchanged corresponds to the number rolled on the dice.

In a further embodiment the game will also contain an eclectic mix of what may be known as action cards, here are some examples.

Swap cards. A card may be provided so that when a participant picks one of these they must exchange all their letters and replace them with new ones from the tile bag, this could be called a swap card. Alternatively more cards may be provided which allows one to move one letter from one of their cards onto another of their cards. As a further option the card may be saved and used when it will be of advantage.

As a further alternative a card may be provided whereby a participant is permitted to remove one of an opponents tiles already laid and return it to the tile bag. These may be known as Twang cards. Alternatively cards known as exchange cards may be provided and the recipient must exchange the complete rack of tiles with the tiles of an opponent. l

À 1 À À a as a a e e e a A e see a À a À e À e PAGMBA209 As a further alternative a card may be provided which entitles the recipient to ask to see an opponent's tile rack and take one or more of their letters and replace it with a corresponding number of their own.

The use of such a card may count as a turn in the game.

The present invention may provide an educational aid particularly for children learning to read.

It may also provide an aid for people with learning difficulties such as dyslexia. The invention may also provide a game for people of all ages. It is also envisaged that the present invention whether it be used as an educational aid, a learning aid or as a game may be computerized.

The present invention is illustrated by reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows various cards that can be used in the present invention for the formation of words.

Figure 2 shows various cards with a picture showing the word to be formed on the card.

Figure 3 shows various cards with pictures illustrating one or more of the words that may be formed using the letters exposed on the card.

Figure 4 shows examples of some of the action cards that may be included.

Figure 5 shows a segmented holder with three sections for holding cards.

Figure 6 shows a tile rack, which can be used to hold five letter tiles.

Accordingly in operation each participant is provided with a tile rack and obtains a predetermined number of letter tiles from the main tile container and places them on his or her tile rack. A predetermined number of cards are placed face down in each numbered section of the card holder. Having selected which participant will start the selected participant rolls the dice whose faces contain the same numbers as the numbers on the card holder. The participant then takes a card from the section of the card holder corresponding to the number exposed by rolling the dice. If the participant possesses letters corresponding to letters on the card or is able to complete or form a word with either his own letters (if the card is blank) or by combining his letters with those already on the card he places the letters in his possession on the appropriate spaces on the card and then replaces those letters with others obtained from the l e 8 À 8 8 8 8 8 e 8 8 B' 66.

e À 8 À e e PAGMBA209 tile bag. As an option, if one or more of the replacement letters corresponds to letters on a card or can complete or form a word, the participant may continue by placing the replacement letter in the appropriate space on the card. Alternatively in the embodiment of the invention which employs action cards the participant may perform the activity dictated by the action card. When the participant has finished, the turn passes to the next participant who repeats the process and this continues until all the participants have had their first turn.

When the turn returns to the original participant for his or her second turn a second card will be placed face up together with the first card obtained by the participant thus increasing the number of spaces on the cards available to the participant (unless the first card had been completed at the first turn). This process is repeated until either the game is won by a participant completing a predetermined number of cards or until all the cards have been removed from one or more sections of the card holder. In another embodiment of the invention, in the event that all the cards have been removed from a section of the card holder then should a participant roll the dice and produce the number of the empty section of the card holder the participant changes that number of tiles on his tile rack for the same number of tiles in the tile containing bag. I a

Claims

a a À c aÀ À À e À a a À À À À a a PAGMBA209 CLAIMS

1. An educational aid and/or a game comprising a series of cards containing two or more spaces upon which letters can be placed, a holder for some or all of the cards S comprising two or more numbered sections for receipt of the cards, a dice provided with numbers corresponding to the numbered sections in the holder, holders for the letters for each player and a collection of individual letters.

2. An educational aid and/or a game according to Claim 1 in which some of the spaces on the cards already contain letters.

3. An educational aid and/or a game according to Claim 2 in which the remaining spaces on the card are blank for the receipt of letters to complete a word using the letters already contained in some of the spaces.

4. An educational aid and/or a game according to any of the preceding Claims in which some or all of the cards are provided with one or more pictures of the word or words or alternative words that can be produced on the card.

5. An educational aid and/or a game according to Claim 4 in which in addition to the pictures, the card is provided with one or more letters of the word in one or more of the spaces.

6. An educational aid and/or a game in which the cards are provided with spaces for two or more letters.

7. An educational aid/or a game in which the series of cards also contains action cards.

8. An educational aid and/or game according to any of the preceding Claims in which the letters are tiles which are contained within a container such as a bag.

9. An educational aid and/or game according to any of the preceding Claims comprising racks for individual letters.

10. An educational aid and/or game according to any of the preceding Claims in which the card holder contains two or more sections. s

À 1 À e.e : PAGMBA209

11. A method wherein a predetermined number of letters are provided to two or more players and a series of cards containing two or more spaces which may or may not contain letters are placed, face down, in piles in numbered sections of a card holder a dice provided with numbers corresponding to the numbered sections in the card holder is rolled and a card is retrieved from the section of the holder corresponding to the number exposed by the dice after rolling, the card is placed face upwards by the recipient of the card who, if able, supplies letters to the card to complete a word on the card and/or to match letters on the card and additional letters are obtained to replace those supplied to the card.

12. A method according to Claim 11 in which when all the cards have been removed from a particular section of the holder and a participant rolls the dice and produces the number of the section of the holder from which all the cards have been removed the participant is required to exchange the number of letters in his or her possession corresponding to the number rolled on the dice with the same number of tiles in the main tile container.