Free Online Games that help make Reading Fun

Keeping students engaged during computer lab time can feel like a juggling act—especially when you want activities that are both fun and meaningful. If you’ve ever found yourself searching for “just one more thing” to keep early finishers occupied or to reinforce key skills in an exciting way, this post is for you.

I’ve rounded up my favorite free online games that actually help build reading skills while giving students the sense that they’re just having fun. These aren’t just time-fillers—they’re purposeful tools you can use to support typing, mouse control, digital citizenship, and reading comprehension.

Education.com

Games with verbal instructions for struggling or pre-readers, encompassing a wide range of game types and reading skills.  You can gain additional functionality with a premium teacher account if you’d like to create a class and assign different games directly to students.

Kidstechskills.com

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Room Recess

A variety of game types, with a refreshingly heavy focus on games for mid-upper elementary reading skills. 

Mr. Nussbaum

A wide variety of game types that nevertheless remain focused on reading skills rather than game mechanics. The site also includes online reading comprehension and skill practice that is less game-based, but equally helpful and convenient.

Arcademics

Fast-paced, engaging games with multiplayer options on race-style activities to let your students challenge each other.

Primary Games

Several game types, including a focus on holiday and seasonally themed games.

Starfall

The primary classroom’s go-to, with sections to take students sequentially through ABC’s, Learn to Read, It’s Fun To Read and I’m Reading.

ABCya!

Games cover a good sampling of reading skills all the way from letter recognition to idioms.  The site also has many just for fun games, however.

PBS Kids

Basic letter recognition, vocabulary, rhyming and writing practice themed with popular PBS Kids characters.  Several games have more theme and less skill practice, however.

ReadWriteThink

Games that act like guides to walk students through completing an impressive number of reading and writing activities.  Many tasks are suited to use by middle and high school students in addition to some for elementary.

Teach Your Monster to Read

Adorable, and the series of games cover everything from letters and sounds to reading full sentences.

Quia

Battleship, hangman, and rags to riches games made by other teachers for their reading classes and shared with the community.

Sheppard Software

A small but mighty collection of grammar games, with quirky graphics to draw in students of many different ages.

Kiz Phonics

A game for every phonics rule you could wish for.

Fun English Games

Just four games, but each is well-done and teaches a separate mid elementary reading comprehension skill.

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Bonus! Let Students Be Read To:

Storyline Online

Your students can watch stories read aloud by various actors.  The stories are from a variety of genres and have suggested grade levels K-4th.  They are also starting to add some titles read in Spanish, and even have one read with an ASL interpreter. 

School Radio

Animated shorts or video series representing various stories for ages 5-11+, as well as a collection of audio only stories.

PBS Kids

Stories about popular PBS Kids characters, with words and audio.  Many stories can also be read in either English or Spanish.

Starfall

Several stories organized by genre, with words and audio. 

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