System and method for teaching reading skills using a wagering game using chips, a timer, and cards bearing alphabet learning indicia

• US 5,951,297 A
• Filed: 01/16/1998
• Issued: 09/14/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Madge Pik-Ching Wong
• Original Assignee: Madge Pik-Ching Wong
• Inventors: Schwartz, Daniel Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Harrison, Jessica J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fleming, David A
• Application Number:
  US09/008,107
• Time in Patent Office: 606 Days
• Field of Search: 434/172, 434/178, 434/167
• US Class Current: 434/167
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 3/00157 Casino or betting games horse races A63F3/00082
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 1/00 Manually or mechanically operated educational appliances using elements forming, or bearing, symbols, signs, pictures, or the like which are arranged or adapted to be arranged in one or more particular ways puzzle-games A63F9/00; advertising or displaying in general G09F
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 1/32 comprising elements to be used without a special support
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 17/00 Teaching reading teaching lip-reading G09B21/00

Abstract

A game for teaching reading skills through phonics and decoding skills. The game provides for increasing student (player) interest by incorporating a wagering system similar to that of casino Blackjack. The wagering aspect makes the game attractive to mature students (players) who are learning to read or are improving their reading skills. The game uses word cards and sentence cards. The word cards have specially-selected words to emphasize important vowel sounds, common two letter combinations (consonant--consonant and consonant-vowel) and are selected to use words falling into categories selected for their universal association. The sentence cards are a logical progression from the philosophy of Universal Associative Learning, and pose questions or assign tasks to emphasize reading comprehension and critical thinking skills. The game also uses timing means which sets a period of time in which the card must be correctly responded to, and also uses chips for the placing of wagers. When there is more than one student reader playing against the banker, the student readers may compete to be the first to correctly respond to a single common card, or may independently attempt to respond to their individual cards.

Claims

1. A card game for teaching reading skills including a timer, wagering chips and a plurality of playing cards bearing special alphabet learning indicia, useable by student readers pursuant to a predetermined plan of instructive game play, said plurality of playing cards comprising a set of word cards bearing single words and a set of sentence cards bearing sentences posing questions or assigning tasks, wherein said word cards comprise a plurality of sets of cards, according to the following:

a vowel sounds set, a two-letter combination set, and one or more of related concepts sets, each of said related concepts sets comprising a set of cards bearing words which are associated with a single concept.

2. The card game for teaching reading skills according to claim 1, wherein the cards in said vowel sounds set comprise cards bearing short words containing basic long and short vowel sounds.

3. The card game for teaching reading skills according to claim 1, wherein the cards in said vowel sounds set comprise cards bearing the following words containing basic long and short vowel sounds:

space="preserve" listing-type="tabular">______________________________________BAT BET IN COT BUT BOOT BEETCAT GET PIN DOT CUT HOOT FEETHAT LET SIN HOT GUT LOOT MEETMAT MET WIN LOT NUT MOON DEEPRAT NET NOT RUT NOON KEEPSAT PET POT DROOL SLEEPBAD SET ROT FOOLLAD VET SCHOOLMAD WET ZOOSAD.______________________________________

4. The card game for teaching reading skills according to claim 1, wherein the cards in said two-letter combination set comprise cards bearing short words containing two-letter consonant and vowel combinations.

5. The card game for teaching reading skills according to claim 1, wherein the cards in said two-letter combination set comprise cards bearing short words containing the following two-letter consonant and vowel combinations:

"CH", "SH", "GR", "TH", "OW", "OU", and "OO".

6. The card game for teaching reading skills according to claim 1, wherein the cards in said two-letter combination set comprise cards bearing the following short words containing two-letter consonant and vowel combinations:

space="preserve" listing-type="tabular">______________________________________CHANGE SHIN GRASS COW THECHEAT SHIP GREEN HOW THATCHEEK SHINE GRIN NOW THEMCHEESE SHOOT GRIP VOW THENCHEW SHOP GROSS WOW THEYCHILD SHOT GROW THISCHIME SHOUT GROWL THANKCHINA SHUTCHINESECHIPCHOOSECHOPCHURCH.______________________________________

7. The card game for teaching reading skills according to claim 1, wherein the cards in said related concepts set comprise cards bearing words falling into the following categories:

family relationships, articles of clothing, animals, sports, and transportation.

8. The card game for teaching reading skills according to claim 1, wherein the cards in said related concepts set comprise cards bearing the following words falling into the categories of articles of clothing, animals, and family relationships:

space="preserve" listing-type="tabular">______________________________________PANTS CAT MOTHERSHIRT COW FATHERSHOES DOG SISTERSOCKS PIG BROTHERTIE RAT AUNTCAP HORSE UNCLEUNDERWEAR MOUSE COUSINJACKET CHICKENSUIT BULLVEST GOATBOWTIE DUCK GOOSE LION TIGER BEAR MONKEY DOVE EAGLE HAWK DEER RACCOON SKUNK ELEPHANT HIPPO RHINOCEROS______________________________________

9. The card game for teaching reading skills according to claim 1, wherein the cards in said related concepts set comprise cards bearing the following words falling into the categories of sports and transportation:

space="preserve" listing-type="tabular">______________________________________BASEBALL CARFOOTBALL PLANEBASKETBALL TRAINSOCCER SHIPHOCKEY BICYCLETENNIS MOTORCYCLEBOXING SCOOTERVOLLEYBALL SKATEBOARD.______________________________________

10. A method of playing a card game for teaching reading skills to a student reader employing a timer, wagering chips and a plurality of playing cards bearing special alphabet learning indicia, wherein said word cards comprise a plurality of sets of cards, according to the following:

a vowel sounds set, a two-letter combination set, and one or more of related concepts sets, each of said related concepts sets comprising a set of cards bearing words which are associated with a single concept, comprising the steps of;

a. selecting a Banker;

b. providing a starting stake of wagering chips to the student reader;

c. placing of a wager by the student reader;

d. selecting and exposing a playing card from among said plurality of playing cards, and starting said timer;

e. attempting to correctly respond to said exposed playing card before the timer runs out, by the student reader;

f. processing the wager; and

g. repeating steps (c) through (f) as desired or until the occurrence of a terminating event.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the processing step comprises paying the student reader his winnings if he correctly responded to said exposed playing card before said timer ran out or collecting the wager if the student reader did not correctly respond before said timer ran out.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising, after step (d), the step of giving the student reader the option to obtain help from the Banker in responding to said exposed playing card, and wherein the processing step comprises returning the wager to the student reader.

13. A method of playing a card game for teaching reading skills to more than one student reader employing a timer, wagering chips and a plurality of playing cards bearing special alphabet learning indicia, wherein said word cards comprise a plurality of sets of cards, according to the following:

a vowel sounds set, a two-letter combination set, and one or more of related concepts sets, each of said related concepts sets comprising a set of cards bearing words which are associated with a single concept, comprising the steps of;

a. selecting a Banker;

b. providing a starting stake of wagering chips to each of the student readers;

c. placing of a wager by each of the student readers;

d. selecting a playing card from among said plurality of playing cards and exposing it to the student readers;

e. starting said timer;

f. attempting to the correctly respond to the exposed playing card before the timer runs out, by a student reader;

g. repeating steps (e) and (f) for each student reader until a student reader correctly responds to the exposed card before the timer runs out or all student readers have tried and failed to correctly respond to the exposed playing card before said timer runs out;

h. processing of the wagers; and

i. repeating steps (c) through (h) as desired or until the occurrence of a terminating event.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the processing step comprises:

paying a student reader his winnings if he correctly responded to the exposed playing card before said timer ran out;

collecting a student reader'"'"'s wager if he did not correctly respond before said timer ran out; and

returning the student reader'"'"'s wager if he did not get an opportunity to respond to the exposed playing card.

15. A method for playing a card game for teaching reading skills to more than one student reader employing a timer, wagering chips and a plurality of playing cards bearing special alphabet learning indicia, wherein said word cards comprise a plurality of sets of cards, according to the following:

a vowel sounds set, a two-letter combination set, and one or more of related concepts sets, each of said related concepts sets comprising a set of cards bearing words which are associated with a single concept, comprising the steps of;

a. selecting a Banker;

b. providing a starting stake of wagering chips to each of the student readers;

c. placing of a wager by each of the student readers;

d. selecting and exposing a playing card from among said plurality of playing cards for each student reader;

e. starting said timer;

f. attempting to the correctly respond to the exposed playing card before the timer runs out, by a student reader;

g. processing of the wager;

h. repeating steps (e) through (g) for each of the student readers; and

i. repeating steps (c) though (h) as desired or until the occurrence of a terminating event.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the processing step comprises:

paying the student reader his winnings if he correctly responded to the exposed playing card before said timer ran out or collecting the wager if the student reader did not correctly respond before said timer ran out.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising, after step (f), the step of giving the student reader the option to obtain help from the Banker in responding to said exposed playing card, and wherein the processing step comprises returning the wager to the student reader.