Pickles' Pig Tales

Explore

What Does Child Do To Use Skill In The Game?
The goal of the game is to tell a story leading to the castle. This requires that players investigate the picture cards and think about what is in that picture that could be included in the story.

How Parents Can Assist Learning
Encourage children to look at the details in the Story Cards to think about associations with the object in the picture. As the pictures are primarily objects, the children may need prompting to think about "what happened" with the object. For example, the knight could be riding a horse, going to battle, needing to sleep or worried that he makes a lot of noise when he walks.When first playing the game, the adult may need to use gestures to point to cards and remind the child to include previous parts of the story.

Learning Implications and Educator Support
Encourage children to look at the details in the Story Cards to think about associations with the object in the picture. As the pictures are primarily objects, the children may need prompting to think about "what happened" with the object. For example, the knight could be riding a horse, going to battle, needing to sleep or worried that he makes a lot of noise when he walks.When first playing the game, the adult may need to use gestures to point to cards and remind the child to include previous parts of the story.

Determine

What Does Child Do To Use Skill In The Game?
Players need to determine how each of the pictures could be involved in a story. Also, players need to determine which Story Cards to add or remove if they land on special spots on the game board.

How Parents Can Assist Learning
If needed prompt children's thinking about a picture. Examples are: What does it do? What happened? What is inside?

Learning Implications and Educator Support
If needed prompt children's thinking about a picture. Examples are: What does it do? What happened? What is inside? Children are developing early strategy skills as they decide what cards to add or remove, and whom to take a card from, depending on the spaces they land on with Pickles.

Compare

What Does Child Do To Use Skill In The Game?
Players need to associate what is on Story Card on the table with the Story Card they select from draw pile, so they can connect the ideas represented on each Story Card into a story.

How Parents Can Assist Learning
If needed parents can help children determine how connections can be made. For example, if a snowman card and a football are drawn together, the parent might ask, "What could happen in the snow with a football?"

Learning Implications and Educator Support
If needed educators can help children determine how connections can be made. For example, if a snowman card and a football are drawn together, the educator might ask, "What could happen in the snow with a football?"
Also, educators can help children classify vocabulary by identifying how the child uses the Story Card, perhaps as a verb or a noun. To enhance vocabulary, encouarage children to describe the image on the Story Card before adding it to the story.

Remember

What Does Child Do To Use Skill In The Game?
This is the key element of the game. Players need to remember the sentences associated with each picture, remember the story sequence, and remember what was eliminated and added.

How Parents Can Assist Learning
If children need assistance, parents can point to the Story Card pictures in sequence. This may help children remember the order of the story. When you get a turn, you can model using gestures and voice intonation in storytelling. This is also a strategy to aide memory. Another technique for improving memory is to say ideas out loud. Allow young children to repeat the story each time, even if it is not their turn. This will help improve memory.

Learning Implications and Educator Support
If children need assistance, educators can point to the Story Card pictures in sequence. This may help children remember the order of the story. When you get a turn, you can model using gestures and voice intonation in storytelling. This is also a strategy to aide memory.

Plan

What Does Child Do To Use Skill In The Game?
This is some light planning in Pig Tales as players need to quickly decide what idea to add to the story, and what cards to add, remove or take from another player if they land on a special spot on the game board.

How Parents Can Assist Learning
No special parent support required. However, for younger children, allow them to take their time to think up a new idea to add to the story.

Learning Implications and Educator Support
Children are developing early strategy skills as they decide what cards to add or remove, and whom to take a card from, depending on the spaces they land on with Pickles. Suggest they think about potential benefits of a move.

Practice

What Does Child Do To Use Skill In The Game?
The child practices the essential memory skills of the game with every turn.

How Parents Can Assist Learning
Parents can celebrate each correct recitation, building the child's confidence and enjoyment. These can help with memory.

Learning Implications and Educator Support
Educators can celebrate each correct recitation, building the child's confidence and enjoyment. These can help with memory.Additionally, children are practicing story making, including proper use of vocabulary, grammar, syntax, character and plot.

Solve

What Does Child Do To Use Skill In The Game?
Each time players recite the sentence correctly, they are solving the linguistic problem of the game.

How Parents Can Assist Learning
Parents can celebrate each correct recitation, building the child's confidence and enjoyment.

Learning Implications and Educator Support
Educators can celebrate each correct recitation, building the child's confidence and enjoyment.Additionally, children are using skills like proper use of vocabulary, grammar, syntax, character and plot in order to continue to develop a coherent story, which can be wildly imaginative and creative.

Review

What Does Child Do To Use Skill In The Game?
Players need to review mistakes, so they correct their story on the next turn.

How Parents Can Assist Learning
Parents can give clues to help children remember or accurately recite the part of the story they missed.

Learning Implications and Educator Support
Educators can give clues to help children remember or accurately recite the part of the story they missed.

Demonstrate

What Does Child Do To Use Skill In The Game?
Players verbally shares the story, demonstrating their memory skills.

How Parents Can Assist Learning
There is no special parent support required.

Learning Implications and Educator Support
Educators can ask children to demonstrate their knowledge of vocabulary and literacy by discussing the different elements of the story that is created.

Imagine

What Does Child Do To Use Skill In The Game?
Players have to imagine possible actions associated with each picture and connect actions into a story.

How Parents Can Assist Learning
Parents can include imaginative elements to show children that it is okay to make up crazy things. For example, "The knight was actually a robot who could cook meals."

Learning Implications and Educator Support
Educators can include imaginative elements to show children that it is okay to make up crazy things. For example, "The knight was actually a robot who could cook meals."

Create

What Does Child Do To Use Skill In The Game?
Players cooperatively create a story by adding a new idea to the prior story.

How Parents Can Assist Learning
Parents can include imaginative elements to show children that it is okay to make up crazy things. For example, "The bee was king of the castle where the goldfish lived with the camel."

Learning Implications and Educator Support
Educators can include imaginative elements to show children that it is okay to make up crazy things. For example, "The bee was king of the castle where the goldfish lived with the camel."

Cognitive

Suggestions for How to Modify Play Experience
For children who have difficulty remembering the sequence of complex ideas, they can try to remember the sequence of animals names. Instead of switching cards, use the green arrows to move forward one; the red arrow to go back one space; and the double arrow to skip a turn. This will simplify the game.
If children can remember sentences, play as usual but without the omission and exchange of cards. This complexity may be distracting and frustrating for children with cognitive delays or memory concerns.
Simplify the game by drawing cards only on the board squares with arrows of any color. Do not omit or exchange cards.

Communication

Suggestions for How to Modify Play Experience
For children with language delays or disorders, telling a story may be too difficult. Modify the game to labeling the picture on the card and adding a descriptive or action word, for example, big elephant or elephant walk.
The adult can assist the child with language concerns by beginning the sentence and letting the child complete it. For example, "And after the snowman…the little boy took his kite and….then the a camel took…, etc. By beginning the sentence for each card, the adult prompts the memory for the next part. After several turns, point to a card and say just an initial prompt, leaving more for the child to remember and say.

Sensorimotor

Suggestions for How to Modify Play Experience
Picking up cards requires fine motor skill using a pincer grasp. Children who need practice with this task can be the "card turner" for other players.

Social Emotional/Behavioral

Suggestions for How to Modify Play Experience
Turn-taking is built into the game, but children with attention problems can be the "Turn Announcer." They watch the game and announce whose turn is next.
Children can be encouraged to count with other children as they move the Pickles.

Vision

Suggestions for How to Modify Play Experience
If they can't see the cards in front of the other players, other players or an adult can prompt them with a word cue if they can't remember the sequence.

Hearing

Suggestions for How to Modify Play Experience
Teach children playing the game the signs for the cards as they are drawn. There are simple signs for most of the cards, so children will have fun learning them. Have a book of signs available. This also increases the hearing impaired child's social interactions and communication.

*Data compiled from CCSSI ELA Standards, WA Science Standards, and Washington Social Studies Standards

Extra Ways to Play the Game
Each player picks 10 cards. From these 10, the player picks 5 cards. Each player tells a story with his/her 5 cards. All players look at the cards they discarded and see if they can add a card to the player's story. Everyone comments on what they like about each story.

Materials Needed
No additional materials needed.

Developmental Benefits
This modification encourages children to plan and organize, relating ideas to make a story and building language and cognitive skills. The ability to add from their own pile to make the story more complex requires the ability to restructure the original story. Having children comment positively on each other's stories builds supportive social skills.

Extra Ways to Play the Game
Lay 20 cards out in a row on the floor or table. Together create a story. You can move the cards around to make the story better. Keep changing it, until everyone likes the story. Invite Mom or Dad in to hear the story.

Materials Needed
No additional materials needed.

Developmental Benefits
Creating a story out of divergent cards encourages children to make creative connections. Cooperation is necessary, so social skills are also needed. Adding the element of performance builds self esteem and self confidence.

Extra Ways to Play the Game
Draw a card and act out what is on the card. Others guess what is on the card. Draw two or more cards and act out a story that it tells. Others guess the story you are telling.

Materials Needed
No additional materials needed.

Developmental Benefits
Children need to grasp the core meaning of what is on a card and think of something they can do to represent the object or action. This requires imagination and elaboration with gross and fine motor skills. Eliminating verbal communication builds the child's nonverbal expressive skills.

Extra Ways to Play the Game
Each player picks 2 cards and lays them in the middle so all can see the. Player 1 then thinks of a way the pictures are alike (e.g, the sun and the elephant are both big). Other players vote on whether they like the comparison. If most players give the player a "thumbs up," they scores a point. If anyone can come up with another comparison, a vote is taken again, and that player can score a point. The next player then proceeds to lay down two cards, etc.

Materials Needed
No additional materials needed.

Developmental Benefits
This modification encourages children to make analogies, an important cognitive skill. The process of listening to others ideas often leads to children making a new association. Voting thumbs up and down encourages children to evaluate another's idea to determine a logical connection. If their is disagreement, children should be encouraged to explain and justify their thinking. Being able to support one's ideas and convince others of the value of an approach builds self confidence.

Extra Ways to Play the Game
See if you can find a card for each letter of the alphabet and line them up.

Materials Needed
No additional materials needed.

Developmental Benefits
This modification encourages sound-letter association and letter sequencing. Both are important foundations for literacy.