How I Use ABCya in the Self-Contained Classroom

ABCya.com is a free website with a wide variety of educational games and activities. My students love it! By the way, according to the FAQs on their site, ABCya is pronounced as A(ay) B(bee) C(see) ya (like “see ya later!”). Read on to learn about some of the ways I use this site in my classroom, and to see some of my students’ favorite games!

Using ABCya During Centers

One way I utilize the site is by having students play games as independent work during our center rotations. I love having students practice using the touchscreen computer in my classroom as a way to help prepare them for the DLM assessment. Since my district has 1:1 technology, they can also use Chromebooks. By adding ABCya.com to the bookmarks bar, students can easily navigate to the site and choose the game they want to play.

ABCya as a Whole Group Activity

Another way I use ABCya is to reinforce concepts during whole group instruction. We will play a relevant game on the SmartBoard to practice subject concepts. For example, during our coin unit, we will play a game like Break the Bank – Sorting to reinforce the skill. Plus, playing a game together helps us practice turn taking and being encouraging toward each other! 

Reward on Student iPads

ABCya is completely free on desktops/Chromebooks. However, on mobile devices there is limited availability of games. Still, when my students earn iPad time in the classroom, ABCya is one of their favorite apps to play! On mobile, ABCya offers a “free game of the week” for users who do not have an account. 

My Favorite ABCya Games

Five of my and my students’ favorite games are listed here!

Cup Stacking Typing – Practice letter recognition and keyboarding skills

Letter & Number Tracing – Reinforce letter and number formation, and work on fine motor skills!

Bingo – There are a ton of bingo options on ABCya! My class loves to practice math facts on these bingo boards.

Learn to Tell Time – I love using this game during our time unit! Students move the hands of a clock to match a given time. The outdoor scene changes as the times advance, helping students to differentiate AM and PM.

Make a Pizza – My students LOVE the Make a Pizza, Cake, Cupcake, and Ice Cream Sundae games on ABCya! These types of games are great for helping students to follow sequences and practice vocabulary as they follow the steps for making their creations.  Plus, it is just plain fun! If your students like playing Make a Pizza online, they will also love this fun, FREE pizza craft!

Of course, there are a ton more games and resources on the site! Do your students use ABCya? What are some of your favorite games to use in the classroom? Share them below!