Games
Overview
Games support learning as learners engage with new information in fun and informal ways. This increases understanding of content, and sparks Creativity as learners think about concepts in different ways. Games can be beneficial across content areas, strengthening Core Academic Literacies. By engaging student's Attention, games motivate students to develop meaningful connections to the content, and can lead to positive memories of learning. When learners engage in game-playing, they use their problem-solving and Critical Thinking skills, as well as executive functions to support their play. As games often include peers, they encourage dialogue about their learning, sharpening Communication and Social Awareness and Relationship skills. Games can be used in traditional or digital contexts to allow learners to practice a multitude of skills.
Example: Use This Strategy In in the Classroom
Design It into Your Product
Videos are chosen as examples of strategies in action. These choices are not endorsements of the products or evidence of use of research to develop the feature.
Learn how this word puzzle game incorporates spelling, phonemic awareness, and Vocabulary in a challenging but interactive way. Color-coding the consonants and vowels reinforces Alphabet Knowledge and letter recognition, and providing increasingly complex words supports deeper Vocabulary building.
Additional Resources
Additional examples, research, and professional development. These resources are possible representations of this strategy, not endorsements.
Factors Supported by this Strategy
More Active Learning Strategies
Encouraging young children to draw and to explain their drawings in the classroom, can support the development of Core Academic Literacies.
Students explaining their thinking during learning is a metacognitive process that involves actively self-questioning or being questioned while exploring new concepts, and explaining thoughts and reasoning in response.
Visiting places connected to classroom learning provides opportunities to add relevance to classroom topics and deepen understanding through firsthand experiences.
Simulations involve students engaging in interactive experiences that mimic real-world scenarios to explore content, practice skills, and solve problems.
