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May 2009

GAMES IN THE CLASSROOM

Although the year may be winding down, the thoughts of summer break may be getting your students wound up! One way to keep them interested between now and the end of the year is through games.

Whether you’re a fan of board games, electronic games or computer games, the benefits playing games – both as a group and individually – are numerous. There are also things to consider before integrating games into your lessons. Read on to discover benefits and considerations of classroom game-playing.

BENEFITS

Games are a break from the normal routine. They can help relax students and keep their attention (especially students with ADHD).

They allow students to learn when they may not even realize they are doing so.

They provide a higher level of engagement than worksheets.

They are motivational. Not to mention fun!

They encourage students to use their imagination and to think creatively.

They can increase vocabulary and language skills. Games that use repetition make it more fun to learn and remember words. Our FLIP-OUT! ANSWER CHUTE is ideal. Write a word on one side of a card and its definition on the other. Students read one side of the card and check to see if they were right when the card comes out of the chute. They can insert the same words or definitions over and over until they have it down!

They are great for developing higher-order-learning and problem-solving skills. For many subjects, the benefit of having students play a problem-solving game versus taking a test is that you can actually see their thought process at work (informal assessment). Problem solving can be found in anything from puzzles (like our BASIC SKILLS READING PUZZLES, LANGUAGE PUZZLE LAB or GEOPUZZLES™) to computer games.

They provide assessment and feedback. For many computer games, you cannot move onto the next level until you have mastered the first – providing immediate assessment. QUIZMO® games and LITERACY BOARD GAMES provide instant assessment and review of multiple math and language arts concepts. Other games, like PIZZA FRACTION FUN®, are self-checking.

They can help students relate concepts to the real world. For example, the online educational game Food Force (it’s free; published by the United Nations World Food Programme) sends students on a virtual mission to provide food for a famine-affected country. It also includes lesson plans to help integrate the program into your lessons.

They can be use to learn new information, to reinforce information, or both. CLASSROOM JEOPARDY!® II, GEOSAFARI® QUIZ BOWL, WIRELESS EGGSPERT™, EGGSPERT™ NUMBERED HEADS TOGETHER™ and our own QUIZ SHOW POCKET CHART let you create your own curriculum-specific games by writing your own questions.

They can often be played by just two players, providing a great buddy system for learning. CHUNKS, CHUNK STACKER and SYL-LA-BI-FI-CA-TION are simple word-building games that two - or up to six - students can play together.

Group games encourage healthy competition.

They can help create a cohesive classroom. Games provide practice in taking turns and working together – teamwork at its best!

They can provide an outlet for movement. Games with a physical component, like GUIDED READING BEACH BALLS and COMPREHENSION CUBES, require student interaction and provide active engagement.

They make a quick center. Our READING COMPREHENSION GAMES are for up to six players, so they are an easy-to-implement solution for a language arts or reading-comprehension center.

Individual games give struggling students a non-threatening way to improve skills.

They can allow students to progress at their own level and pace. Individual, multi-level games (like MATHSHARK®, DIGITZ™, WORDIAC™ and GRAMMAR LAB) allow students to play (and learn) at the level they are comfortable with.

They are a great reward for a job well done. Giving a student 15-30 minutes on a handheld game can be a great incentive or reward.

CONSIDERATIONS

Before choosing games for the classroom, there are some things you need to think about:

How much time will you need to learn the game? How much time will you need to teach it to your students? This is especially important when introducing computer games to your class.

Are the games available to everyone? Computer games are beneficial, but must be limited to in-class work since not all students may have a computer at home.

Do you have the time required to play the game? Popular games like the social studies game Civilization III (a computer strategy game where students build and sustain a civilization from the ground up) are very beneficial to learning, yet can take a lot of time.

Is the game integral to the lesson? Does the game teach new concepts or does it reinforce a current concept? What will the student gain from playing a game? These are important factors to consider.

Can every student play the game? Be mindful of lower-level learners when playing group games. They should not feel uncomfortable or hesitant when playing with higher-level learners.

HOT TIP: Can’t find a game you like? Create your own, or better yet, have students do it! It can be a board game or a computer game, depending on the level they (and you) are comfortable with. When they create a game themselves, they use creativity and problem solving, and reinforce information already learned.

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