Lyn Kawai, TCE 273 OSU W2015

Karuta Japanese
Small group game
1. Make a double set of identical cards. (In Japan one has the picture one is just written but
for use with language learning and smaller kids its just easier to make a double identical
set, they can be just words, words and pictures, math items, etc.(** color code the two
decks so when they get mixed up it is easy to separate them.)
How to play, 4-8 kids per group-depending on number of cards (more cards more
kids)
1. Place one set face up on the table
2. Give shuffled 2nd deck to the caller/reader
3. The caller takes the top card and reads out the letter, word, name, describes
picture
4. Then turns the card over so the table can see it. (the card then goes in a discard pile by
the caller)
5. As soon as the caller reads the card the table players are scanning the table for the
card that
matches. (those who know the vocabulary or understand the spoken hint get a time
advantage
over those that need to wait to see the card)
6. The person who slaps the correct card first gets to keep the card and to even
the playing field
that person often will sit out the next card before rejoining the game.
7. On the last 3 cards all table players put their hands on their heads and the caller
can
purposely call out a card that is not on the table if someone slaps wrongly theyre out
for a
turn.
If you want a winner its the person with the most cards and for younger kids we practice
counting how many cards we slapped at the end of the game.
You can use this to review just about anything and even to make conversations.
1. For example with food items, the table players have to ask,
- What do you want to eat? and then the caller looks at his/her card and says, I
want an apple. Pauses and then turns the card over so all the table can see the
card.
-Where is the animal? And the caller would pick a card and say, It is between the
tiger and the rabbit and under the shark. Or the caller cant say the animals name
but only use description before turning the card over.
Math, history, geography, science terms, can all be learned and reviewed with this game
and with a double deck you can also do other matching games like concentration, Bingo
calling cards and Jeopardy type games.

Lyn Kawai, TCE 273 OSU W2015

When teaching reading to 1st and K I would keep a list of hard or missed words each day
and would quickly write them on index cards and then we would always do a Karuta wrap
up game and as they got good at the hard words I would remove them from the game
deck as new words are added.