ALTA BOARD GAMES

Games have always been part of the ALTA literacy programme, primarily easy-to-make card games, but also more complex board games.  In 2002, the board games were compiled into the ALTA Caribbean 6-in-1 Game Pack and launched at a press conference on September 8th, International Literacy Day.

To stimulate local interest, the themes of the games are all related to the geography and folklore of the Caribbean, and in particular Trinidad & Tobago.

• Island hop in the beautiful Caribbean in Travel the Caribbean.
• In Jump Up! go to fetes, pan yards, mas camps, calypso tents and carnival shows. Get the true feeling of carnival in Trinidad.
• Shop till you drop in Shop Shop! Develop your math skills, learn how to manage money including calculating VAT and discounts.
• Learn about local folklore as you make it home through dense tropical forest, peopled by frightening Soucouyants, La Diablesse and Mama Dlo in Forest Walk.
• Experience life and sightseeing in Trinidad as you walk around Port of Spain in Downtown or drive around the famous Trinidad Savannah in Round the Savannah. Develop your map-reading skills and learn the rules of the road as you play.

Although developed for use with adult students, children from age 7 and up can enjoy and learn from these games.  The ALTA board games can be played in a structured learning environment, e.g. in schools, or just for fun at home. Playing time for each game is 30-45 minutes. The games have a strong educational thrust, addressing all four components of literacy: speaking, listening, reading and writing.

For adults, a key skill for success in the workplace is understanding and acting on instructions. The words used in the games are the ones players will see as they go about their everyday lives. Reading them over and over while playing the game will promote instant recognition when shopping, driving, etc. Words used in the games have been carefully chosen so that even a beginner can cope.  Players will read words on the board and short sentences on the game cards. Pictures are used to help players decode words or sentences. Although writing is not a big part of the games, three of the games require forms to be filled.

Cost wise, the games compare favourably with other games.  You often pay TT$185 for one board game, but with ALTA you get six games.  The “ALTA Caribbean 6-in-1 Game Pack” is available at local bookshops (Lexicon T'dad Ltd, San Juan; Page 1 Chapter One, Ellerslie Plaza; Rainy Days, Ellerslie Plaza; Paper Based, Hotel Normandie) and from ALTA's three offices. Proceeds go to support free adult literacy classes in Trinidad & Tobago.