Here's a game that may be varied to reinforce the following literacy skills:

• Letter Recognition
• Matching Upper- and Lower-case Letters
• Word Families and Rhyming

Depending on the needs of your child, select the letters you'd like to work on. Do not work on a large portion of the alphabet all at once.

• Clearly and boldly print each of these letters on separate 3 x 5-inch index cards, making two cards for each letter.
  Example:
• If you intend to focus on the letters c, d, f, g, h and k, you will need a total of twelve index cards, two for each letter.
  Notes:
• It is common for many kids to confuse b and d; therefore, you might want to separate them into different packs of playing cards.

• If your goal is to have the child work on identifying upper-case and lower-case letters, you'll need one letter card in upper-case print and its matching card in lower-case print.
• When playing with word families, you may make more than two cards per set. It is up to you to decide how many cards complete a set. Whatever the number, keep it consistent. If there are four cards with words in the -at family (e.g. cat, bat, sat, mat), there should be four cards with words in the -an family (e.g. can, fan, man, ran).

• Shuffle and deal three to five cards to each player.
• The number of cards dealt will vary based upon the total number of cards you are using and the total number of people playing.
• Place the remainder of the deck face down, spread all around as if the cards are "fish" in a pond.
  

• Players look at the cards they've been dealt but do not show their hand to anyone else.
• One player asks another player for a card to match one that he/she has in his/her hand.
  Example:
• If a child holds the letters b, f, and h in her hand, she'll decide on a letter to "fish for" and then ask you (or another player), "Do you have the letter f?" If her opponent has the letter f in his hand, he gives it to her and she may take another turn. If her opponent does not have a match, he says, "Go Fish!" and she must draw from the remaining deck of cards.

• Each time a player has a matching pair or complete set (depending on the number of cards you've made per set), he/she must read the letter aloud and place the set face up for all to see. Continue playing until all the cards are used up.

• For each player to collect as many complete sets or to "reel in as many fish" as possible. If you are playing "to win," the winner will be the first person to get rid of all of her/his cards.