Methods and apparatus for educational spelling games   

This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/010,625 filed Jan. 9, 2008, which is hereby incorporated by reference as if repeated herein in its entirety.

The present invention is directed to educational games, and particularly to educational games that test a player\'s spelling ability and helps sharpen a player\'s spelling skills.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Games have previously been disclosed for testing players\' knowledge including a player\'s spelling skills. In one previously disclosed game, a player is given the definition of a word and then must guess the defined word. If the player guesses the word correctly, he is then given the opportunity to spell it for a bonus. This game includes different decks of cards with each deck comprising words for given educational, intellectual and age levels so that players of different levels can play together.

In another previously disclosed spelling game, words are randomly selected from a word storage, e.g. a dictionary, for spelling by a player. In various embodiments, the list of words in the word storage may have one or more levels of spelling difficulty wherein the spelling difficulty is chosen by a player during his turn or is randomly determined. If the player spells a word correctly, he is awarded a number of points which can correspond to the level of difficulty of the spelling word. The purpose of the game is to accumulate the highest number of points. This game, however, is not a board game and does not disclose or suggest a plurality of different levels of spelling difficulty within at least one and no more than two consecutive educational grade levels or age levels.

SUMMARY

In order to provide greater challenges and games of greater interest, it is particularly desirable to provide a spelling game wherein words of different levels of spelling difficulty are provided within at least one and no more than two consecutive educational grade levels or age levels. It is desirable to have a spelling game that challenges a player to improve his spelling skills regardless of how accomplished the player is as a speller. It is also desirable to provide words of different levels of spelling difficulty in a given game level so that a player may randomly be required to spell words that are considered more difficult within a game level during any turn. It is also desirable to allow players who are of the same or nearly the same age or educational grade level to compete against each other using the same set of spelling words, while allowing players of a different age or grade level to play the game at the same time using a different set of spelling words appropriate for their age level or educational grade level.

Embodiments of the present invention are directed to educational spelling games wherein players are required to spell words of various levels of spelling difficulty within at least one and no more than two educational grade levels or age levels in order to advance. One embodiment comprises a game board, a plurality of playing pieces, a plurality of spelling cards each comprising a plurality of spelling words wherein different words on each of those spelling cards have different levels of spelling difficulty and, the different words are selected from spelling lists from at least one and no more than two consecutive educational grade levels or age levels, most preferably from two educational grade levels, and means for randomly determining the level of spelling difficulty of the word which a player will be asked to spell, e.g. a die, a spinner, or the like.

According to one embodiment, the plurality of spelling cards comprises words of different spelling difficulties within a specific educational grade level. Preferably, there are at least three words of different levels of spelling difficulty on each spelling card. This embodiment of the game comprises collections of cards comprising words of different spelling difficulties within a specific grade level. A single game level can cover no more than two consecutive ages and/or grade levels, e.g. ages 7-8 or grades 7-8. A plurality of card collections each corresponding to spelling words for different game levels may also be provided. For marketing purposes, such additional collections of spelling words may be made available separately.

Another embodiment of the present invention is an electronic version comprising an annunciator to announce the words. In a preferred electronic embodiment, the circuitry randomly determines the difficulty of the word to be spelled, selects a word of that difficulty from the plurality of difficulties within at least one and no more than two consecutive educational grade level or age level and then an annunciator announces the word to be spelled.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a top view of one embodiment of a game board of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a top view of the word side of a “BUZZLEWORD Card” (spelling word card) of one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a top view of the direction side of a “BUZZLEBEE Card” of one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a top view of the direction side of a “BZ-PASS” card of one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an electronic embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

One illustrated embodiment of the present invention comprises a board game which can be played by a plurality of players, e.g. 2-6 players, of educational grade level 1 and up. For example, children\'s versions of the present game are provided for each of grades 1-2, grades 3-4, grades 5-6, grades 7-8, and an adult version is for high school students through adults. For grades eight and lower, or ages 13 and lower, each game level preferably comprises no more than two consecutive grade educational levels of consecutive ages.

One illustrated embodiment of the game comprises a game board, three hundred spelling cards known as “BUZZLEWORD Cards” as shown in FIG. 2, designated for the specific game level, fifty “BUZZLEBEE” cards which direct player\'s moves and which are drawn by players who land on spaces designated as “BEE” spaces on the game board, and a tri-colored die for randomly determining the spelling difficulty of the word to be spelled for each player\'s turn. This embodiment also comprises a plurality of playing pieces for players to move along the game board. In one embodiment, the playing pieces are six bee-shaped figurines each of a different color to identify each different player.

During play, players may optionally be provided with a writing implement and paper to write down their spelling words. Also useful during play is a dictionary to consult for word derivation, definition and pronunciation. Use of a dictionary with the present game may advantageously sharpen players\' reading and vocabulary skills, but is not required.

Each spelling card may be marked on one side with the game level of the spelling card and, optionally, a company logo. The other side of the spelling card contains a plurality of words of different difficulties, i.e. the spelling words. As indicated in FIG. 2, there are three words with three different indicia, wherein the different indicia refer to the spelling difficulty. Preferably, there are at least three spelling words on each card. The words on each spelling card are of different spelling difficulties identified herein as EASIER, INTERMEDIATE and MORE DIFFICULT. In one embodiment, the EASIER spelling words are denoted by a particular color, e.g. a yellow square preceding the word, the INTERMEDIATE spelling words are identified by a different color, e.g. a green square preceding the word, and the MORE DIFFICULT spelling words are identified by a third color, e.g. a blue square preceding the word. Some indicia must be provided for identifying the different levels of difficulty, but various indicia may be utilized including different symbols, colors, numbers, fonts, word order on the card, etc. In any event, some indicia other than the spelling words themselves is provided on the word side of the spelling cards to indicate their level of difficulty. The die or other random selector used to randomly determine the level of spelling difficulty a player\'s word will be on a particular turn will also preferably comprise indicia which corresponds to the indicia utilized on the card. According to other embodiments of the present invention, the word itself may be randomly selected. For example, in an electronic version, including a television version, or a computer based version, the word itself may be randomly selected, however, in such instances, the word will have been previously assigned a level of difficulty. Therefore, in such embodiments, the level of difficulty will also be selected randomly even though the device for doing the random selection is directed to the word itself rather than the level of difficulty. In such instances, for purposes of the present invention, both the word and the level of spelling difficulty are deemed to be randomly selected.

The words that are used on the spelling cards are most preferably from known spelling lists which include high frequency words suggested for teaching in each grade level. The term “known spelling lists” is used herein to indicate lists of spelling words found in a common source, e.g. on the world wide web or published in books. The term “grade level” is used herein to identify a single division of a school or a collection of persons grouped according to age or the same relative academic ability. According to this embodiment, the different grade levels include each of grades first through eighth grade. Such spelling lists exist for grades one through eight and are posted on the world wide web and are published in books. Examples of suitable spelling lists found on the world wide web include those found on the following web sites:

http://www.asij.ac.jp/elementary/gr1web/cla/100%20words.htm http://wwW.wcusd15.org/ses/spelling2.htm http://www.time4learning.com/SpellingWords/3rd-grade-spelling-words.shtml http://www.time4learning.com/SpellingWords/4th-grade-spelling-words.shtml http://www.ohsd.net/index2.cfm?page=_c2&cid1&cid2=179 http://aschilb.emsd37.org/Spelling/spellling2nd.htm http://www.time4learning.com/SpellingWords/1st-grade-spelling-words.shtml http://www.delano.k12.mn.us/sitepages/pid323.php http://www.gowrie.k12.ia.us/3rdgrade/spelling.asp http://web.dps.k12.va.us/ParkAve/spelling.htm http://www.delano.k12.mn.us/sitepages/pid137.php http://www.riverdale.k12.or.us/˜bblack/sp12.htm http://www.riverdale.k12.or.us/˜bblack/sp11.htm http://www.riverdale.k12.or.us/˜bblack/sp10.htm http://www.riverdale.k12.or.us/˜bblack/sp9.htm http://www.riverdale.k12.or.us/˜bblack/sp8.htm http://www.riverdale.k12.or.us/˜bblack/sp7.htm http://www.riverdale.k12.or.us/˜bblack/sp6.htm http://www.riverdale.k12.or.us/˜bblack/sp5.htm http://www.riverdale.k12.or.us/˜bblack/sp4.htm http://www.riverdale.k12.or.us/˜bblack/sp3.htm http://www.riverdale.k12.or.us/˜bblack/sp2.htm http://www.riverdale.k12.or.us/˜bblack/sp16.htm http://www.riverdale.k12.or.us/˜bblack/sp15.htm http://www.riverdale.k12.or.us/˜bblack/sp14.htm http://www.riverdale.k12.or.us/˜bblack/sp1.htm http://www.time4learning.com/SpellingWords/5th-grade-spelling-words.shtml http://boe.berk.k12.wv.us/217/tospell5.htm http://www.riverdale.k12.or.us/˜bblack/sp13.htm http://www.ohsd.net/index2.cfm?page=_c2&cid1=61&cid2=179 http://www.nhcs.k12.in.us/staff/bburson/webcreation/spelling/stormigiovanni.html http://www.nhcs.k12.in.us/staff/bburson/webcreation/spelling/explodingants.html http://www.nhcs.k12.in.us/staffibburson/webcreation/spelling/stretchingourselves.html http://www.nhcs.k12.in.us/staff/bburson/webcreation/spelling/westlandia.html http://www.nhcs.k12.in.us/staff/bburson/webcreation/spelling/mahaliajackson.html http://www.nhcs.k12.in.us/staff/bburson/webcreation/spelling/dinosaurshawkins.html http://www.nhcs.k12.in.us/staff/bburson/webcreation/spelling/leonardoshorse.html http://www.nhcs.k12.in.us/staff/bburson/webcreation/spelling/wingsforking.html http://www.nhcs.k12.in.us/staff/bburson/webcreation/spelling/midnightride.html http://www.nhcs.k12.in.us/staff/bburson/webcreation/spelling/janegoodall.html http://www.nhcs.k12.in.us/staff/bburson/webcreation/spelling/passagefreedom.html http://www.nhcs.k12.in.us/staff/bburson/webcreation/spelling/insideout.html http://www.nhcs.k12.in.us/staff/bburson/webcreation/spelling/satchelpaige.html http://www.nhcs.k12.in.us/staff/bburson/webcreation/spelling/islanddolphins.html http://www.nhcs.k12.in.us/staff/bburson/webcreation/spelling/thunderrose.html http://www.nhcs.k12.in.us/staff/bburson/webcreation/spelling/frindle.html http://www.nhcs.k12.in.us/staff/bburson/webcreation/spelling/gymnast.html http://www.nhcs.k12.in.us/staff/bburson/webcreation/spelling/chilinpurse.html http://www.all-about-spelling.com/spelling-list-for-6th-grade.html http://www.time4learning.com/SpellingWords/6th-grade-spelling-words.shtml http://www.home2teach.com/Spelling5-6.html http://www.time4learning.com/SpellingWords/7th-grade-spelling-words.shtml http://www.time4learning.com/SpellingWords/8th-grade-spelling-words.shtml http://www.justinrudd.com/adultbee.html

One embodiment comprises a plurality of decks of spelling cards. Each of the decks comprises words from two adjoining grade levels. The spelling cards for Level 1 comprise words from known spelling lists for first and second grade. Similarly, the spelling cards for Level 2 comprise words from known spelling lists for third and fourth grade; the spelling cards for Level 3 comprise words from known spelling lists for fifth and sixth grade; and spelling cards for Level 4 comprise words from known spelling lists for seventh and eighth grade. The spelling cards for the adult level version of the present game comprise words that are at a higher vocabulary level or higher spelling level than eighth grade and which are not commonly found on spelling lists for educational grades one through eight.

As noted above, the words on the spelling cards are categorized by the relative spelling difficulty of the words. Each spelling card has a plurality of spelling words on one side, and preferably at least three words following an EASIER, INTERMEDIATE and MORE DIFFICULT spelling difficulty arrangement. While these category titles are used herein, in an actual game, the categories can be titled “Difficult,” “More Difficult” and “Most Difficult” for the morale of the players. The difficulty of the spelling words may be determined by one or more of the criteria set forth in detail below. Tables 1-5 provide exemplary lists of possible spelling words set forth by game level and subdivided within each game level by spelling difficulty. Table 1 sets forth a spelling word list for Level 1, Table 2 sets forth a spelling word list for Level 2, Table 3 sets forth a spelling word list for Level 3, Table 4 sets forth a spelling word list for Level 4, and Table 5 sets forth a spelling word list for the adult level of the game.

TABLE 1 LEVEL 1 - 1ST & 2ND GRADE MORE EASIER INTERMEDIATE DIFFICULT mind broom wheel map serve clue hard sixth would (please) base team (group) wear (put on) pump throw sunny wild duck write (pen) salt straw blue (color) hay court morning (a.m.) mad cloud really step word ahead bark off slight

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