Taking Turns in a Board Game: Put It in Order
Five steps of taking a turn in a board game, dealt out of order for the student to sequence. An adult reads every card and choice aloud.
Tap two cards to swap them
How to run it
Read each step aloud and act it out with a real die if you have one. Once the order is set, play a short real game and point to each step as it happens. Let the child be the one who says pass the die. Afterwards, ask what comes after watching your friend, which brings the routine back to the start.
Cueing ladder
Start at the top. Add support one step at a time.
- IndependentAn adult reads every card and choice aloud. Set up the situation and wait for the student to respond on their own.Log as correct
- Nonverbal cueUse a look, a gesture or a point to the visual cue card.Log as cued
- Indirect promptAsk 'What could you say now?' or 'What might they be thinking?'Log as cued
- ModelShow what to say or do, then run the moment again so the student can try it.Log as cued
Adjust it
Pass a talking object back and forth so each turn is something the student can see and hold.
Practice with a peer instead of an adult, or in a game with three or more players.
Matching IEP goal
During structured conversation or play, Student will take a turn and hand it back, for example by asking a question in return, in 8 of 10 opportunities across 3 consecutive sessions, given no more than a nonverbal cue.
Send it home through the parent portal →About this activity
Five steps of a turn in a board game: your friend passes you the die, roll the die, move your piece, pass the die to the next player, watch your friend take a turn. The steps arrive mixed up and the child puts them in order. It makes the invisible routine of turn-taking visible, especially the last two steps, handing over and watching, which are the ones young children skip.
What to listen for
Notice which steps the child puts first. Many put roll the die first and forget that a turn starts when the die comes to them. Watch the real game for the same pattern. Notice whether watching a friend's turn is hard; some children find waiting genuinely uncomfortable, and something to hold or a job like counting the friend's moves can make waiting easier.
Carrying it home
At home, play a simple board or card game and say the steps out loud as you go. Praise passing the die and watching. Keep games short at first so waiting is manageable, and lengthen them as turn-taking gets easier.
What's in this activity
- Your friend passes you the die
- Roll the die
- Move your piece
- Pass the die to the next player
- Watch your friend take a turn
Questions
- Who is this for?
- Children in preschool through first grade learning to take turns in play, including children who find waiting hard.
- Can I change the items?
- Yes. Open it in the Activity Studio, edit or add items and keep the same board, or switch it to another template that fits the content.
- Is it free?
- Yes. It plays free in the browser with no login. An account adds session data, goal scoring and assignment to a student.
Use this board with your caseload
With a free account, every correct, cued and incorrect mark is saved to the student and scored against their IEP goal, with the data written up for you. Assign it as home practice through the parent portal.
Track progress freeFree for SLPs. No card, no trial clock.