ACTIVITY BASED LITERACY WORD GAME

Background of the Invention Field of the Invention

[0001] This invention relates to board games and more specifically to games in which a player attempts to arrange randomly generated symbols, such as letters, into a coherent expression, such as a word.

Background Art

[0002] _# As is well known, different children learn in different ways and at varying speeds. For example, children may experience difficulty in learning basic spelling, reading, and vocabulary skills. Whatever the situation, individuals more readily assimilate fundamental literacy and numerate skills when coupled with the playing of a competitive game. For example, flash cards decorated with individual letters of the alphabet and words or objects provide the simple alternative scheme for aiding a child to improve language and literacy skills . However, children soon tire of flash cards, so they become ineffective. Thus, a learning method that includes mechanical aids should provide a lively learning process in an entertaining, social environment that retains the child's interest. [0003] Presently available word games provide some of the desirable features of such a learning method. Some games utilize chance devices, such as dice shakers, to determine the game of play; others make use of tiles with letters printed on the face. The Boggle® and Scrabble® word games manufactured by Hasbro, Inc. are two examples.

[0004] As other examples, U.S. Patent No. 4,055,348 (1997) to Marzoni discloses a word building game in which a set of five icosahedral dice contain consonants on the faces. Each contains a subset of

all the consonants in the alphabet. In play, an individual throws all five dice and then attempts to construct a word from the displayed letters. [0005] U. S. Patent No. 6,945,532 (2005) to Orner et al . discloses a word game that is played with up to four teams. Each team is assigned a set of four six- sided dice that display different letters of the alphabet. The game is played with a set of cards that contain answers. During a team's turn, one individual throws the dice to display up to four different letters. That individual must provide clues to the answer using words that begin only with the displayed letters.

[0006] U. S. Patent No. 7,018,210 (2006) to Goldman et al . discloses a method for teaching and learning reading. The apparatus comprises a group universally connectable blocks and a primer having intelligible reading units composed of reading indicia. An individual reads the primer, reads selected reading indicia in the primer and locates blocks having the selected reading indicia. Then the selected reading indicia are arranged to form a sentence. [0007] Each of the foregoing games requires a player to have a based level of a priori knowledge not normally associated with young children just learning to read. Specifically, it is assumed that the individuals have basic vocabulary knowledge. Also many of these games tend to be complicated by intricate rules . Consequently, it is hard to maintain a young child's interest in such games.

[0008] What is needed is a game that may be played with one or more players by randomly generating symbols, such as letters, to form expressions, such as words, that will assist in determining the outcome of

the game whereupon the expressions are presented to each player. Further, what is needed is an entertaining game which enables a child to learn various skills, such as reading and spelling, in an entertaining and engaging process to improve his or her cognitive and literary skills.

Summary

[0009] Therefore it is an object of this invention to provide a game that is adapted for being played by young children to develop their cognitive and literacy skills. [0010] Another object of this invention is to provide an entertaining game for enabling young children to develop their cognitive and literacy skills. [0011] Still another object of this invention is to provide a word game adapted for being played by young children for developing their cognitive and literacy skills that is adapted to play with older children and adults . [0012] Yet another object of this invention is to provide a word game for young children to develop their cognitive and literacy skills which does not require a priori knowledge of various expressions, such as words. [0013] In accordance with one aspect of this invention, a game is presented in which a player seeks to form an expression from a set of symbols. Each position in the expression corresponds to one symbol. Symbols for another set are generated randomly and correlated to an expression.

[0014] In accordance with another aspect of this invention a word game for improving the cognitive and literacy skills comprises a plurality of flash cards and multiple random character generators. Each flash card defines a word of up to n characters taken from a set of alphabetic characters. Each of π random character

generators includes a base and an actuator mounted to the base for movement relative thereto thereby to define a closed cavity with respect to the base. A multi-faced die has one of a subset of alphabetic characters displayed on each face and is located in the cavity. Operation of the actuator causes said die to come to rest with one of the die faces displaying its corresponding alphabetic character. The game is played by actuating the random character • generators until the displayed characters spell the word.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0015] The appended claims particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter of this invention. The various objects, advantages and novel features of this invention will be more fully apparent from a reading of the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which like reference numerals refer to like parts, and in which: [0016] FIG. 1 is a view of the components of one embodiment of a game constructed in accordance with this invention including flash cards, random symbol generators and a timer;

[0017] FIG. 2 is a pictorial view of the back side of the flash card shown in FIG. 1; [0018] FIG. 3 is a front plan view of one embodiment of a random symbol generator shown in FIG. 1; [0019] FIG. 4 is a sectional view of a random symbol generator taken along lines 4-4 in FIG. 1; and [0020] FIG. 5 is a pictorial view of a set of dice that are useful in accordance with the embodiment of the game of FIG. 1 and a diagram that depicts one layout of characters on each die . Best Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0021] FIG. 1 depicts the components of a children's game 20 that meets all the objectives of this invention. The game 20 includes a deck 21 of flash cards that provides a method for displaying an expression. Each flash card 22 displays an item in pictorial form at 23 and the spelling of that item at 24. In this particular case the expression is BOAT that is spelled at 24 and depicted at 23. [0022] FIG. 2 depicts a variation in which the backside of the flash card 22 includes only a picture 23A. This provides a greater challenge because a player must determine the expression including the number of characters in the expression. As will become apparent, flash cards 21 constitute one example of a game element that correlates selected symbols into an expression as by organizing letters into a word.

[0023] The game also includes two sets of random symbol generators 25 and 26. There is one set for each of two players or teams of players. Each set of random symbol generators includes one random symbol generator for each of n possible character positions in the expression defined by each of the flash cards 21. In this particular example, the expression contains four symbols so n=4. Therefore the game includes four random symbol generators 25A through 25D for the set 25 and 26A through 26D for the set 26. Thus the expressions could have any number of character positions up to n.

[0024] Referring particularly to FIGS. 3 and 4, the random symbol generator 25A includes a base 30 that supports a clear hemispherically shaped cover 31. A spring platform 32 positioned in the base 30 loosely captures a die 33 (shown only in FIG. 3) within a cavity 34 (shown in FIG. 4) defined between the spring platform 32 and the interior of the cover 31. As will be described

later, downward force on the cover 31 deflects the spring platform 32. Release of the cover 31 causes the spring platform 32 to snap in an upward direction causing the die 33 to elevate and rotate within the cavity 34 and the fall back onto the spring platform 32 in some arbitrary or random position.

[0025] Referring to FIG. 4, a random symbol generator, such as random symbol generator 25A, is constructed for easy use by children. In this embodiment, the base 30 has a base ring 35 that defines a central bottom opening 36 and four angularly positioned adjacent bulbous quadrants 37. In one embodiment each quadrant contains indicia related to the symbol subset on the die. For example, the random symbol generator 25A in FIG. 1 shows the indicia S, W, E, *, B, C, T and H at 40 which are the letters on the various faces of the die 33A associated by the random symbol generator 25A. The following table and FIG. 5 illustrate the distribution of characters among the various dice 33A through 33D associated with each of the random symbol generators 25A through 25D:

[0026] Still referring to FIG. 4, the base also includes a ring portion 41 that terminates with a downwardly facing annular edge 42 that abuts a radial flange 43 about the bottom of the cover 31. A bottom

cover 44 of the base 30 closes the bottom opening 36 and captures the spring platform 32 against the bottom of the flange 43.

[0027] More specifically, the spring platform 32 has a central portion 43 with oppositely extending legs 46 and 47 that terminate in bent tabs 50 and 51, respectively. Intermediate the legs 46 and 47 the central portion 45 extends radially to be coextensive with the radial flange 43. [0028] During assembly the cover 31 is positioned in the base 30 from the bottom through the opening 36. The spring platform 32 then is sandwiched between the bottom cover 44 and the cover 31. Consequently, the spring platform 32 biases the cover 31 into contact with the annular edge 42. So at rest the spring platform 32 is. stressed.

[0029] When an individual applies a downward force to the cover 31, the cover 31 displaces the coextensive portions of the spring platform 32 with a pleasant muted popping sound and increases the internal bias or stress. Thus, when the force is removed from the cover 31, the spring platform 32 snaps back to its original position, again with a pleasant muted popping sound, and propels the die 33 in FIG. 3 upward so that it comes to rest in a random orientation with one face on the spring platform 32.

[0030] The last game element in FIG. 1 is a timer 52. This can be used to establish a fixed interval during which an individual player or team of players may use of the necessary random generators to spell the word displayed by a flash card, such as the flash card 22. [0031] In the specific embodiment where the expressions are words and the symbols are alphabetic characters, the set of random symbol generators 25A through 25D in FIGS. 1

and 5 define selected subsets of the letters of the alphabet with the exception of the letters Q, V and Z and with the addition of an asterisk to denote a wild card. More specifically, as shown in the following table and particularly shown in FIG. 4, each die 33 is formed as an octahedron thereby to provide eight possible positions. Each die 33A through 33D also define a separate subset of the full set of alphabetical characters. It is of course possible to substitute any character including V, Q and Z for the wildcard structures. However, it has been found the elimination of those letters does not significantly reduce the number of words that can be produced especially with two, three- and four-character words. [0032] This game can be played by one player or multiple players. A single player selects one set of random symbol generators, for example the set 25, selects a card from the deck, such as the flash card 22 and starts the timer 52. Then the individual actuates each of the random symbol generators in sequence until the corresponding dies illustrate one of the characters. The object would be to display all the characters defined by the selected flash card, within the time defined by the timer 34. [0033] In this embodiment, multiple players can divide into teams. Each team uses one set of the random symbol generators 25 or 26. Players on each team would, in order, spell the word selected for that round. Play continues until each player on each team completes spelling the word. The winning team keeps the flash card. At the end of play the team with the most flash cards wins. More sophisticated individuals can play the game using the flash cards to display only the pictorial representation of the word 23, such as the flash card shown with the picture 23A in FIG. 2.

[0034] This invention has been disclosed in terms of a certain embodiment. It will be apparent that many modifications can be made to the disclosed apparatus without departing from the invention. For example, the specifically disclosed embodiment utilizes four random symbol generators each of which includes an octahedral die with a subset of eight alphabetic symbols, one of which is shown as a wild card. ' This provides a game in which the player may spell two-, three-, or four-letter words. Other numbers of random symbol generators could be incorporated in the game for expanding or contracting the word size. Additional sets of random symbol generators can be included or added to the game for allowing additional players or teams to each have a set. The game can be readily adapted for use with other expressions, such as by changing the format of the flash cards to display various mathematical expressions and changing the symbols and number of faces on the dice accordingly. In another variation, the dice could display different words that could then be arranged into short sentences or phrases .

[0035] This invention has also been described in terms of physical random symbol generators and flash cards for defining a correlation between the generated symbols and an expression. It will apparent that a person of ordinary skill in the art could also convert the features and methods of this game, particularly the random symbol generation and display functions, into a software version that implements some or all of the game functions, including any of the foregoing and other variations, as a stand-alone application or as an interactive web-based application.

[0036] This game as disclosed or variations of this game will meet some or all of the objectives of this

invention. The combination of the flash cards and random symbol generators provides a game that is adapted for being played by young children to develop their cognitive and literacy skills in an entertaining way. In its simplest form played with flash cards, such as those shown in FIG. 1 with the answer, a child requires no a priori knowledge to succeed. As a child matures and becomes more proficient, game complexity can be easily increased by using the flash cards as shown in FIG. 2 without the answer. The element of chance introduced by the use of the random symbol generators makes the game enjoyable for players of all ages. In whatever form the association of an expression and symbols will help a child develop, inter alia, visual memory and reasoning skills, concentration and comprehension and grouping, sorting and ordering. The specifically disclosed embodiment will help to develop letter matching, word recognition and spelling pattern skills . [0037] Consequently, it is the intent of the appended claims to cover all such variations and modifications as come within the true spirit and scope of this invention.