As an educator, you have goals for yourself, to tap into each child’s zone where he gets excited about learning and has continued moments of success that drive him to undertake further challenges. Students have goals for themselves, too—they want to succeed, they want to do well in school, and they want to learn the best they can.
Games help satisfy everyone’s goals. They keep the curriculum fresh and interesting, which is key to motivating future learning. Here are fourteen ways games bring your curriculum to your audience:
1. Games are experiential. Today’s student needs to do and to try things on her own. These games bring her into direct contact with the topic; she will actively interact with your information wrapped in a game. Games also allow you to observe her realtime behavior.
2. Games allow special tutoring for one or two. On occasion you need to work with only one or two students. Games can be customized with almost any topic and used in the home or classroom for special tutoring sessions. You will find additional tips on how to use each game in this book in the “Teacher’s Notes”
and “Customizing” sections.
3. Games provide choices for your classroom. Educators sometimes feel weighed down by assigned curricula and audiences. Games allow you to add variety and flexibility to your teaching menus. Here is a brief list of your classroom choices with games:
• In-chair or out-of-chair play
• Table, floor, or wall play
• In-class or learning center activities
• Small- or large-group play
• Teacher or student scoring
• In-class or take-home assignments
• Individual or team play
• Introduction or review of material
• Open-book or closed-book play
• Inside or outside play
4. Games reinforce learning. Games give you playful ways to present and represent material to your students. During this play, your students can practice and demonstrate what they have learned from lecture and readings.
5. Games provide immediate feedback. Students want and need feedback on their performance. Games give students immediate feedback on the quality of their input—with appropriate corrective feedback. This can become an invaluable learning opportunity.
6. Games improve test-taking skills. Because of the playful challenge inherent in them, games serve as excellent practice for test taking. They expose students to a variety of question areas and formats, and postgame discussion can focus on testtaking tips from both the teacher and fellow students.
7. Game playing shows that classroom energy is good. Sometimes the educator has to deal with the energy that children bring into the classroom. Using games reinforces the concept that energy is a good thing and that the classroom is a good place to expend energy. In addition, games can bring students’ focus back to the curriculum following active play periods such as recess.
8. Games can introduce new or difficult material. Games have an unparalleled facility to introduce new or difficult material to willing participants. Because the game format is playful, the inherent challenge of new or difficult material is much less threatening than it is ordinarily. During game play the seeming unsolvable question is “just part of the game.” And educators can use the window following a correct response to successfully introduce new information. One method, for example, is to give an in-class assignment on a new reading.
After ten minutes of individual work, bring students into small groups to share their understanding of the material.
9. Games complement reading assignments. Games work very well to complement in-class or at-home reading. Use game sheets as homework guides or use in-class question-and answer sheets.
10. Games improve teamwork. Because games are real-time activities that bring students into teams, they train students in the rules of working together as a team and underscore the value of team collaboration.
11. Games teach playing within the rules. Games continually reinforce the concept that the only way to win is to play within the rules. If an instance of “fair play” or “cheating” is aired, the postgame discussion can deal with issues of cooperation and honesty.
12. Games foster both individual and team achievement. Games underscore the importance of both the individual and the team by giving the student a chance to work alone and then adding the dimension of bringing him into a small group to share ideas.
13. Games reinforce and improve multitasking. Games allow students, individually or in groups, to experience and practice multiskill tasks, such as bouncing a balloon while responding to a series of questions. The pressure created by game play helps build problem-solving skills and promotes creativity.
14. Games can replace drill work. Games can replace the dreaded memorization work required in learning multiplication tables, spelling, and the like. The required repetition can be carried out in a game format. When the students’ attention is focused on the play of the game, memorization becomes less of a chore.
Read More : HOW GAMES BRING LEARNING TO YOUR CLASSROOM
