Re: Why Games Can Be One of the Best Ways for Kids to Learn

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Why Games Can Be One of the Best Ways for Kids to Learn

by GamesMom

Oct 8

Children do not always learn best by sitting quietly and listening to information. Many children learn by doing, trying, making mistakes, and trying again. This is one reason educational games can be a useful part of learning, especially for younger students.

Games can make practice feel less like repetitive work and more like an activity that children want to complete. A child practicing addition through a game, for example, may solve dozens of problems without feeling that they are simply doing a worksheet. The immediate feedback also helps children understand whether an answer is correct and gives them an opportunity to try again.

Another benefit is that games can encourage problem solving. Puzzle games, word games, memory activities, math challenges, and strategy games can require children to think about what to do next rather than simply remember an answer. When the activity is designed well, the child is actively making decisions and learning from the results. <...See MoreChildren do not always learn best by sitting quietly and listening to information. Many children learn by doing, trying, making mistakes, and trying again. This is one reason educational games can be a useful part of learning, especially for younger students.

Games can make practice feel less like repetitive work and more like an activity that children want to complete. A child practicing addition through a game, for example, may solve dozens of problems without feeling that they are simply doing a worksheet. The immediate feedback also helps children understand whether an answer is correct and gives them an opportunity to try again.

Another benefit is that games can encourage problem solving. Puzzle games, word games, memory activities, math challenges, and strategy games can require children to think about what to do next rather than simply remember an answer. When the activity is designed well, the child is actively making decisions and learning from the results.

Games can also make it easier to practice the same skill multiple times. Repetition is important in learning, but repeated exercises can quickly become boring. A well designed game can provide repetition while changing the challenge, pace, or situation so that the child remains interested.

There is also an important difference between games that are simply entertaining and games that are designed around a learning objective. Not every game is educational, and adding points or rewards to an activity does not automatically make it useful for learning. The strongest educational games connect the activity directly to a skill the child is expected to develop.

For teachers, games can also be useful as an additional classroom activity. They can be used after a lesson, during independent practice, as a warm up, or as an optional activity for students who finish their regular work early. Browser based games can be particularly convenient because students can access them without installing software.

At the same time, games should not replace teachers, books, discussion, writing, experiments, or hands on activities. Children benefit from different learning approaches, and what works well for one student may not work as well for another. Games are best viewed as another tool that teachers and parents can use when it supports the learning goal.

The quality of the game matters too. A useful educational game should be easy enough for a child to understand but challenging enough to require thinking. It should provide clear feedback, avoid unnecessary distractions, and give the child a reason to keep practicing.

There are now many free educational games available online covering subjects such as mathematics, spelling, vocabulary, typing, memory, logic, and problem solving. For example, resources such as gamesmom.com offer browser based activities that children can use without downloading an app or creating an account.

The bigger question is not whether games are always better than traditional learning. It is how we can use games alongside other teaching methods to give children more opportunities to practice, explore, and think.

What has been your experience using educational games with your students? Which types of games have actually helped children learn, and which ones have not worked as well?

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