Tool Tuesday: Scribblenauts!

Lately, I’ve been coming back to an oldie-but-goodie resource, Scribblenauts (“Remix” version available for iPad or iPhone for $.99 with tons of content, other options explored below). Scribblenauts is a puzzle game where players can type in upwards of 20,000 nouns, even with adjective modifiers, to bring in objects that help solve stated problems within the scene. As such, it provides an open-ended “sandbox” with a range of stories solvable with actions and elaborated noun phrases. I like to think of Scribblenauts as a series of mini-lessons, one of those 5-10-minute “rewards” for students that are actually language therapy activities.

Scribblenauts Remix comes with 17 “Worlds,” each with 10 levels (yes, that’s potentially 170 lessons). It’s a video game for non-gamers, perfect for use with our youngsters because most (not all) don’t have any required pace of response. This allows you plenty of time to step in to scaffold without interrupting the game.

Let’s analyze the first 5 levels for language opportunities! Note that you need not go into any scene blind—as in most games, the levels are documented here.

Level 1-1: Cut down the tree: The forest scene is ripe for description with the Setting icon of Story Grammar Marker^®, along with Kick-Off/Action or simply Action.

Level 1-2: Give two of them what they need in their hands: Community helpers lead you to Character, Setting, Action, and scaffolding of an object.

Level 1-3: Prepare the schoolhouse for a new year: Perfect for a Setting description activity!

Level 1-4: Pit stop! Give the car replacement parts to get it back on track! Take a detour to discuss car racing settings, and the category of car parts. You’re on the road to problem-solution.

Level 1-5: Kick Off the Beach Party! Scaffold adding a list of items that go with the Setting/Situation of a beach party (lots of things would work: food, music, sports equipment).

As you proceed, you’ll see so many options for language-enhancing interactions.

1. Create a Story Around the Solution. Maybe a farmer’s cow is stuck in a tree (Yes, things get weird in Scribblenauts). Ask your student for a solution, but with a "why" and "how" behind their choices.
• “I’m going to summon a ladder because the farmer can climb it to reach the cow.”
• “Then I’ll use a rope to pull the cow down safely.”
2. Retell the Puzzle. After completing a puzzle, scaffold your students with SGM in retelling the story. For instance:
• “The kick-off was the cow got stuck in the tree, so I gave the farmer a ladder. The cow climbed down safely.”
3. Predict What Happens Next Once. the puzzle is solved, ask the child to imagine what happens after the screen fades.
• “Now that the cow is safe, what do you think the farmer will do?” These imaginative extensions are great for developing ‘future thinking’ and creative storytelling.
4. **Brainstorm Multiple Solutions** Ask your students to come up with different ways to solve the same problem and evaluate which solution might be best. Working on this in a group fosters collaboration in play.
• For the cow-in-a-tree scenario, one solution might involve summoning a trampoline, another a helicopter, and another a lumberjack.

You can also get a taste of Scribblenauts on the web, or via the Steam game browser. Have fun and solve some problems! Keep in mind that you will never need to fly blind—look up a “walkthrough” for any level (of any game, for that matter).

On a related note, if you haven’t yet watched Erik Raj’s wonderful presentation on using video games in therapy, you can do so for free until January 31 via the SLP Summit.