Educator Designed Reading Card Games to Boost Fluency
New learning tools aim to help California families address reading gaps in elementary school students.
Updated on Sept. 23, 2026 in Primary Education
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Bonnie Terry, an educator with 50 years of experience, has released a series of card games called Scooch to help children improve their reading fluency. The games were designed to address the reality that nearly 70% of students struggle with reading development or have only partially developed skills.
Why it matters
Research links reading fluency in fourth grade to future high school graduation outcomes, yet proficiency levels have recently declined. These games offer an alternative to traditional drills for students who struggle with standard literacy exercises.
Official assessments show only 31% of fourth graders and 30% of eighth graders are performing at or above proficient reading levels. Currently, 69% of children continue to struggle with reading or possess only partially developed skills.
The players
Bonnie Terry
An educator with 50 years of experience and the founder of the learning company Scholar Within.
Nick Terry
The creator of a free online tool designed to help parents assess their children's reading levels.
The details
The Scooch card games function by tasking players with combining letter patterns to form words and score points. This approach aims to teach children common letter sounds, word blending, and letter patterns through gameplay rather than traditional, repetitive drills. By gamifying the experience, the tools are intended to engage students who otherwise dislike or struggle with conventional literacy practice.
Timeline
2019: Fourth grade reading proficiency levels were higher than in subsequent years.
2022: Fourth grade reading proficiency was two points higher than in 2024.
2024: Fourth grade reading assessment showed 31% proficiency.
The Home Front
The introduction of home-based literacy games arrives against a backdrop of declining reading proficiency scores documented by national assessments. These tools reflect an ongoing parental effort to provide supplementary support to formal classroom instruction at home.
Parents can utilize the free online tool provided by Nick Terry to gain a better understanding of their child's current reading proficiency level. If you identify gaps, consider how incorporating gamified practice or targeted letter-pattern exercises might fit into your existing family homework routine.
The takeaway
Fluency in early elementary years remains a critical predictor of long-term academic success. Parents should consider assessing their child's current reading level using available tools to determine if additional at-home practice is necessary to bridge existing skill gaps.
Further reading
Find more resources for supporting your student at home in our Primary Education section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by KCRA.
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Do you believe supplemental tools like card games effectively improve your child's reading fluency?
