This worksheet/game is super versatile. The words are organised in chapters from James and the Giant Peach, but there is extension into word families, singular and plurals, prefixes and suffixes, etc. The exposure is deliberate as I have found this game so engaging that students decode with more effort than usual. A player has to get the word right to be able to claim the space and have a chance to win. I see students who have developed the habit of word-guessing based on the first letter or syllable, stop and study the word. Magic! Instead of saying a nonsense word they sub-vocalise until they recognise the word and say it.

I developed this game for students who needed more support, but students of all abilities will benefit as fluency levels increase. The fun is the bonus. It is a game for two players. They need a six-sided die and a pencil each to claim spaces. The same game can be played over and over as the throw of the die determines the nature of play. You can even extend it, like I do sometimes, with players continuing after the first stack to see if they can get more.