What games should my young reader play?

Dear Mother,

Dave the Diver taught my 1st grader to read! That might be a slight exaggeration, but when my son was in first grade he was struggling to learn how to read. His teachers instructed him and my spouse and I read books with him but he was never very enthusiastic about them so it didn’t help his literacy very much. But he loves video games!

On a whim, I let him play Dave the Diver because I thought he would enjoy all the fish (he did) and the gameplay (he did). I did not consider that it is a game with lots of text and no voiceover. At first I would read it to him but eventually I had him start reading it with my help, and then he didn’t need me at all. All over the course of a few weeks! Since then I've tried to find kid-friendly games that don't have voiceovers, but it's hard. My question for you is can you recommend any good 1- or 2-player PS5 games that have text but no voiceover? To give you a sense of the games he likes, here are his top 5 from most to least played: Sackboy, Astrobot, Dave the Diver, Horizon Forbidden West, Sea of Stars.

Harpooned on Phonics

Harpooned on Phonics,

This is probably the coolest learning-to-read story I've come across! It's honestly a salve to hear about gaming's positive impacts on the youngest generation because it feels like I'm constantly hearing about its dangers. I don't think your kid is alone in that video games were his avenue for learning to read, and I commend him for wanting to play a game so bad that he learned how to read. That's hardcore!

I presume that Dave the Diver's catalogues of fish, items, weapons, upgrades, and of course, its cheeky dialogue, are what motivated him here. Tried and true, Minecraft is similarly dense with words that, if you read them, will help you understand the game better.

I don't think you have to avoid games with voice acting, because hearing dialogue is still helpful for him as he masters reading and expands his vocabulary. Like many adults do, he will probably begin to read captions — which you can turn on if they're not already — and listen to dialogue at the same time. (And hearing correct pronunciations is good!) I'm not a teacher or a speech language pathologist, but I am a well-rounded reader who still benefits from listening and reading at the same time.

Some of the games I'll recommend do have partial voiceovers, but I think they'll keep your little one engaged regardless. First, KeyWe, the co-op puzzle about two kiwis that run a post office. There's reading involved in several of the puzzles and mini games you'll play as you get mail ready to ship, and your curious kiddo will probably want to get right up to the TV and read the small details on items throughout the scene.

Though it is heavily voice acted, it seems like your kid would love Lego Horizon Adventures (as well as the Lego Star Wars games), and they're too fun to ignore. There's some reading involved as you unlock items and characters, but honestly, I threw this one in more as a reminder to not let gaming time completely turn into reading practice. (It also sounds like he might be ready to get into some books now, but I'm no expert!) These games are silly and the physics are ridiculous, and you'll laugh a lot and read a little, and there's nothing wrong with that sometimes, too.

Finally, I'd like to say thanks for letting games be part of your kid's learning journey. I have often found myself, in conversations with parents, at what feels like square one, where I am explaining that video games aren't inherently unhealthy or bad, so it's nice to hear from a parent who embraces all games can offer.

Good luck to your young reader-gamer!