Name That Word
Published by: Creative Teaching Associates
For more information or to order: www.mastercta.com

Name That Word is a fun learning game that helps kids in grades 5-12 apply their knowledge of grammar.  The colorful playing board is decorated with silly cartoon characters making the game fun from the very start.  There are 125 different sentences placed three per space around the board.  A spinner indicates not only how many spaces to move, but which sentence and which highlighted word in the sentence the player is to identify.  If the player answers correctly, they receive the point value represented by the number in the upper corner of the space.  The player with the most points at the end of the game is declared the winner. 

Originally created to be used in a classroom environment, Name That Word features a self-checking sheet so that no teacher/parent involvement is required (this makes it a perfect game to put in a "learning center" in a classroom environment).  Of course, you will most likely play with your kids, but you will enjoy having quick answers to all of the questions as well!  My 5th and 6th grade boys enjoyed playing Name That Word.  It is not designed to teach parts of speech, but rather to reinforce what the child has already learned.  Younger children, who may not have as much experience with grammar, can also play.  I played Name That Word with my 2nd grader, not keeping score, but rather picking from the parts of speech he already has been exposed to and reading the answers with him when he got stumped.  Not keeping score takes the pressure off, while playing with mom in a game format is a nice change from traditional worksheets.

I found Name That Word to be a great way for my kids to reinforce and apply what they have been learning in their studies.  While not a "family game night" type of game, it is perfect for "school time" play.  After all, if you have to practice grammar, why not use a game?

Making the grade: B+
Cost: $19.95
Value for your homeschool dollar: 8
Reviewed by Lori Carvell, homeschool mom of 5