Pass The Rooby Roo!

Determine

What Does Child Do To Use Skill In The Game?
Players need to declare the category on each turn, decide what may be examples of the category and think of a word that matches the category while starting with the letter(s) on the Letter Tile.

How Parents Can Assist Learning
If some letters are too challenging for children, remove them at the start of the game. After children develop a larger vocabulary, introduce the more challenging letters. Also, you may need to remind children to say, "Pass the Rooby Roo" when they think of a winning word.

Learning Implications and Educator Support
Pass the Rooby Roo is primarily a memory game. If some letters are too challenging for children, remove them at the start of the game. After children develop a larger vocabulary, introduce the more challenging letters.

Remember

What Does Child Do To Use Skill In The Game?
Pass the Rooby Roo is primarily a memory game, as players try to think of words that start with the letter on the Letter Tile and match the category for the tile, such as "Tiger" for Animals category starting with letter "T".

How Parents Can Assist Learning
If some letters are too challenging for children, remove them at the start of the game. After children develop a larger vocabulary, introduce the more challenging letters.

Learning Implications and Educator Support
Pass the Rooby Roo is primarily a memory game. If some letters are too challenging for children, remove them at the start of the game. After children develop a larger vocabulary, introduce the more challenging letters.

Practice

What Does Child Do To Use Skill In The Game?
Players practice sound to letter correspondence as they think of words that start with the letter on the Letter Tile.

How Parents Can Assist Learning
If you notice children are not accurately pronouncing words, write the word down and help them sound the word out.

Learning Implications and Educator Support
If you notice children are not accurately pronouncing words, use applicable interventions to help them learn phonics rules and how to sound out words. Teachers can also have children think of words starting with different letters as a transition activity when lining up or moving between activities.

Demonstrate

What Does Child Do To Use Skill In The Game?
Because players who get the Rooby Roo need to say their words aloud, they are demonstrating understanding categories and relationship to words.

How Parents Can Assist Learning
If children pick a word that does not fit the category, ask them to explain and discuss their thinking. Also, if they think of a word no other children know (ex: "Tapir" for "T" animals), encourage them to share what they know about the item, person, animal, etc.

Learning Implications and Educator Support
If children pick a word that does not fit the category, ask them to explain and discuss their thinking. Also, if they think of a word no other children know (ex: "Tapir" for "T" animals), encourage them to share what they know about the item, person, animal, etc.

Cognitive

Suggestions for How to Modify Play Experience
This is a simple board game requiring children to count backwards or forwards the number rolled on a die. The challenging part for children with cognitive delays is determining a word beginning with the letter they landed on in a specific category. Children with cognitive delays may have difficulty understanding items in a category. Quickly generating words beginning with specific sounds may also be challenging.
To make the game easier, change the pattern of play. For the child with cognitive issues, omit the categories and timed factor and let players determine any word that starts with that letter. When they think of a word, they shout, "Pass the Ruby Roo!" and say their word. If the word starts with the correct letter, the player takes a ruby.
An alternate approach to the game is to help the child with cognitive delays. Players follow the regular rules, but when it is the the turn of the child with special needs, another player assists by giving the child two choices of words that fit the category: one that starts with the correct letter and one that does not. This helps the child learn to listen to beginning sounds and narrow down the options. Regular rules are followed during other turns, and the child with delays still participates.

Communication

Suggestions for How to Modify Play Experience
Pass the Rooby Roo requires the child to think of words from specific categories that start with a specific letter. Players must quickly state "Pass the Ruby Roo!" in order state their word. The time factor may be difficult for children with language issues.
Children with communication concerns may have difficulty with quickly retrieving a word that starts with a certain letter from a specific category. If the communication issue is one of fast retrieval, remove the timed factor.
If the language issue for the child concerns limited vocabulary, other players can assist by giving the child two choices of words that fit the category: one that starts with the correct letter and one that does not. This helps the child identify vocabulary options, but still requires them to listen to beginning sounds. Regular rules are followed during other turns, and the child with delays still participates.

Sensorimotor

Suggestions for How to Modify Play Experience
Turning over the letter tiles is the only motor task required, other than passing the large Rooby Roo. If this is a problem for a child with cerebral palsy, for instance, the child can indicate the tile and another player can turn it over.
Children with cerebral palsy by have difficulty producing speech quickly. Eliminate the speed factor and just take turns in play.

Social Emotional/Behavioral

Suggestions for How to Modify Play Experience
Pass the Rooby Roo is a simple game, but involves some excitement as players try to be the fastest to respond.
In an attempt to be the first to respond, children who are impulsive may just shout out their word. Hold the Rooby Roo up to remind players to say "Pass the Rooby Roo!" before stating their word.
Impulsive children may fail to pay attention to the categories and just focus on any word that starts with the letter. Instead of taking a ruby, which can cause the child to feel defeated, give the child a chance to think about the category and come up with a correct response.

Vision

Suggestions for How to Modify Play Experience
The letter tiles in the game are fairly large, but the category pictures on the opposite side of the tiles may be difficult to see.
If the tiles with several letters on them or the category items are difficult to see, other players can identify the letters or categories for the visually impaired child.
Even blind children can play if other players verbally identify what is occurring on the board. Require players to wait three seconds to allow the visually impaired child to mentally process the letter needed. They then can shout "Pass the Rooby Roo!" if they have a word.

Hearing

Suggestions for How to Modify Play Experience
Hearing impaired children can identify words and categories, but they may have difficulty sharing their words with other players.
Allow children to use the sign for "kangaroo" for "Pass the Rooby Roo!" The child can then sign (if at least one other player knows sign) or write the word they want to share.

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

Extra Ways to Play the Game
Set up the game as normal. Player One picks a letter, rolls the dice and turns over the corresponding Letter Tile. The first person who thinks of a possible winning word asks for the Rooby Roo and then says the word. Winning words are worth the amount of points on the roll of the die. Play then moves to person on the left. First person to 20 points wins.

Materials Needed
No additional materials needed.

Developmental Benefits
This version of the game adds a little risk and reward thinking. Players weigh selecting letters that they think are easier or harder relative to the point value on the roll of the die and the cumulative points of other players.

Extra Ways to Play the Game
Set up the game area with all Letter Tiles in a circle but with the categories face up. Player One rolls the die and moves the Rooby Roo in either direction equal to the number rolled. The first player to think of a word in the category says, "Rooby Roo!". Words can start with any letter. Correct words get a Ruby. Incorrect words mean you need to return a Ruby, if you have at least one. Play moves to the person on the left.

Materials Needed
No additional materials needed.

Developmental Benefits
This is a simpler version of Pass the Rooby Roo, which can be a good introduction to the game for younger children. It also allows for children to practice memory with a larger set of words to choose from.

Extra Ways to Play the Game
Play the game as usual, however, the player who gets the Rooby Roo not only says a word but also needs to make a related sound (ex: growl like a tiger), do the action (kicking motion for soccer) or add a description (ex: the sky is blue for the color "blue").

Materials Needed
No additional materials needed.

Developmental Benefits
Research shows that multisensory learning is more effective they single sensory learning. This version of game adds gross and fine motor to the verbal aspects of the game.