Raise the Roofs

Determine

What Does Child Do To Use Skill In The Game?
Players need to decide which is the best option from the available choices based on the dice they rolled and the towers of all the players.

How Parents Can Assist Learning
To help children develop patience and precision, encourage them to look closely at the dice and examine all the towers of other players to determine which, if any, dice to reroll.

Learning Implications and Educator Support
To help children develop patience and precision, encourage them to look closely at the dice and examine all the towers of other players to determine which, if any, dice to reroll.

Educators can also work with children to determine whether to try building their towers or removing blocks from other player's towers. Ask the child to talk about the advantages or disadvantages of either option. Questions could include "How will another player react if you take a tower block from them?" or "Does another player have a taller tower of the same color as you?"

Compare

What Does Child Do To Use Skill In The Game?
Players compare the color and height of their towers to the towers of other players.

How Parents Can Assist Learning
To help children develop patience and precision, encourage them to look closely at the dice and examine all the towers of other players to determine which, if any, dice to reroll.

Young children may be inclined to act impulsively. Encourage children to think about what might happen with another roll, such as getting a color they need or an "R" so they can remove a block from another player.

Learning Implications and Educator Support
To help children develop patience and precision, encourage them to look closely at the dice and examine all the towers of other players to determine which, if any, dice to reroll.

Educators can also work with children on determining whether to try building their towers or removing blocks from other player's towers. Ask the child to talk about the advantages or disadvantages of either option. Questions could include "How will another player react if you take a tower block from them?" or "Does another player have a taller tower of the same color as you?"

Predict

What Does Child Do To Use Skill In The Game?
There is some predicting involved playing Raise the Roofs as players consider which dice to keep and which to reroll based on the probability that they will roll colors or letters they want. Additionally, players may predict which colors the other players are trying to build into the tallest towers.

How Parents Can Assist Learning
Playing Raise the Roofs requires analyzing the odds of rolling a desired combination of dice (ex: one blue, one "R" and one "A") and whether rerolling is worth the risk of not getting the desired combination and therefore being unable to collect or remove a tower block on your turn.

Depending on the dice rolls, there is additional risk-reward analysis in deciding whether to take a tower block from the play area or an opponent. All of this risk-reward analysis and choice-making is driven by making hypotheses and predictions, which is essential to strategic thinking.

Learning Implications and Educator Support
Predicting involves skills like analysis, observation, empathy and interpretation. Also, children need to learn how to change perspective, imagining being their opponent, in order to have optimal predicting skills. Educators can prompt children to practice predicting by asking them to think about what the opponent will do on their next turn.

Playing Raise the Roofs requires analyzing the odds of rolling a desired combination of dice (ex: one blue, one "R" and one "A") and whether rerolling is worth the risk of not getting the desired combination and therefore being unable to collect or remove a tower block on your turn.

Depending on the dice rolls, there is additional risk-reward analysis in deciding whether to take a tower block from the play area or an opponent. All of this risk-reward analysis and choice-making is driven by making hypotheses and predictions, which is essential to strategic thinking.

Experiment

What Does Child Do To Use Skill In The Game?
Players can try out different strategies, namely, seeking to build fewer, taller towers or more, shorter towers.

How Parents Can Assist Learning
Discuss different strategies prior to starting the game and encourage the child to select one. Play the game and discuss. Then, play again with the child trying a different strategy. Discuss again and compare the advantages and disadvantages. Once children understand different strategies, they can shift and adapt strategies within a game.

Learning Implications and Educator Support
Discuss different strategies prior to starting the game and encourage the child to select one. Play the game and discuss. Then, play again with the child trying a different strategy. Discuss again and compare the advantages and disadvantages. Once children understand different strategies, they can shift and adapt strategies within a game.

Solve

What Does Child Do To Use Skill In The Game?
Players adapt their strategies and choices based on how other players are creating and building towers, and removing the tower blocks of other players.

How Parents Can Assist Learning
If needed, encourage children to "Stop, Look and Think". This can help reduce impulsive moves and increase reasoning and logical approach to solving the game.

Learning Implications and Educator Support
As children respond to the moves of other players, they are building creative problem-solving, focus, self-control, adaptability and resilience skills.

If needed, encourage children to "Stop, Look and Think". This can help reduce impulsive moves and increase reasoning and logical approach to solving the game.

Cognitive

Suggestions for How to Modify Play Experience
Raise the Roofs is good for matching and teaching height comparisons. To make it easier, allow children to add to their same color towers without needing to use the A side of the die, instead of building a new tower.

When first learning the game, disregard the A and R dice sides. Once players understand the basics, include the A side, and once that is understood, include the R dice. It is easier for the child to understand matching colors than the letters and the rules associated with them. By starting with just the colors, players can have early success to build motivation and knowledge for the more challenging aspects of the game.

Allow players to start a tower with one block instead of a minimum of two. This will enable a player to gain success early in the game.

Communication

Suggestions for How to Modify Play Experience
Not much language is needed to play Raise the Roofs. Players only need to understand add, remove and highest/tallest.

Sensorimotor

Suggestions for How to Modify Play Experience
Stacking requires some fine motor skills, which may be difficult for some children with motor issues. However, if players can manipulate small stacking blocks, they should be able to play Raise the Roofs.

Use a cup for rolling the dice if players have difficulty rolling multiple dice with their hands.

Social Emotional/Behavioral

Suggestions for How to Modify Play Experience
Play with a partner. This will increase cooperative problem solving and provide a model for good sportsmanship. Having a partner also encourages less impulsive play, enabling players to stop, think, and discuss play options.

The Remove Block from another player element may be irritating for children with low frustration tolerance. In other words, having someone take a block off of one of their towers may be upsetting. When first learning the game, disregard the R side of the dice. Once the child gains confidence, then start playing with the R side of the dice. Support the child by encouraging the child to "Try to take the block back or throw the dice to gain more blocks."

Vision

Suggestions for How to Modify Play Experience
The Add and Remove sides are hard to see for people with low vision. Disregard if needed.

Use a black marker to make a larger A and R. Also outline the yellow side of the dice in black as well.

Hearing

Suggestions for How to Modify Play Experience
Children who are deaf or hard of hearing should be able to play Raise the Roofs. Little communication is needed.

*Data compiled from CCSSI ELA Standards, WA Science Standards, and Washington Social Studies Standards

Extra Ways to Play the Game
Add miniature cars and action figures. Let children construct a city from the tower blocks and act out stories.

Materials Needed
Miniature cars, people, trees, etc. Add paper or cardboard to make streets.

Developmental Benefits
Dramatic play enables children to use their imagination and creativity to develop characters, actions, and a story narrative. This is important for later literacy development.

Extra Ways to Play the Game
Modify the game to enable another way to earn a bonus block. For example, if you throw five dice of any color you earn a bonus block to put on a tower of choice.

Materials Needed
No additional materials needed.

Developmental Benefits
This modification will add another element of risk and reward to the game. Additionally, it will provide more strategic thinking opportunities. For example, players may change their strategy to try to get five of the same color.

Extra Ways to Play the Game
The R side of the dice (for Remove a block) may be too frustrating or too difficult for younger players. Change the meaning of the R to roll again. When the R comes up, the player gets to roll that one die again.

Materials Needed
No additional materials needed.

Developmental Benefits
By changing the meaning of the R, younger children or children with a limited frustration tolerance can play with more success.