Why are Games the best Teaching Method for Learning?

In my practice as a learning specialist and educational therapist, I quickly learned that games were the secret weapon to learning.  Candy, toys and other bribing forces trigger limited and brief bursts of motivation, but sparking a love for learning remains the bullseye.  Everyone loves to play a game, and when instruction incorporates creative and multisensory merriment to combat and obliterate learning fatigue and frustration, even the most discouraged learners will rise to the occasion.
Why do Games Grasp the Hearts and Minds of Students?
Paring pleasantries and positive feelings with scholarship increases the motivation to learn over time.  I can't tell you how upset I get when I learn that a student has been assigned school work as a punishment.  This silent warfare wreaks havoc on self-directed learning and homework completion.  In contrast, when humor, joy, comfort, and nurturance is associated with the process, an insatiable force is ignited.  I have witnessed this transformation time and time again, and it amazes me how quickly and easily it can happen.

How Can I Embrace this Gaming Mentality?
Educational Games
    Multisensory Lessons
  1. Create fun and engaging titles for your lessons: You can also bring humor into your lessons. CLICK HERE to learn more about this.  Here is a sample of a humorous video that I created to help teach my students about fractions: https://youtu.be/ovftVSTAvCk  
  2. Be enthusiastic about the learning process: Let your students know how excited you are about teaching the next lesson and share some enticing previews of some awesome games and activities that they will be experiencing.
  3. Integrate games or fun activities into lessons: Allow your students to “play” with the most important concepts. For example, when teaching prepositions, my students cut strips of paper and make an igloo for paper cutout of Preppy the Preposition Penguin so they can witness that a preposition is anything Preppy can do to his igloo.  Another example is creating a mobile when teaching order of operations, called My Pet PEMDAS.  I offer many more educational games, activities, and multisensory lessons that you purchase, or you can create them yourself.
  4. Use fun methods to assure learning: After a lesson, you can break the class into teams.  You ask questions out loud.  Students can quickly jot answers on personal whiteboards and hold them up. The first correct answer wins a point for the team.  If the kids then highlight their notes with the content that was used in the game, they can use this information to help them prepare for any quizzes or tests.
  5. Create or find fun and engaging assignments:  I usually create a variety of assignment options.  This way students can select the most enjoyable option.  I even allow them to propose their own assignments from time to time.  The bottom line is I just want to make sure that they master the content.
  6. Create a handout or webpage that offers fun places your students can go to preview and review topics:  Encourage them to share with you any other fun sites that make learning enjoyable.  If I use their recommended resources on my own handouts or sites, I often give them a prize or extra credit points. Here is a link to my own personal homework help page: https://learningtolearn.biz/homework-help 
Next week we will talk about creating games for test review with your content as well as places to find fun instructional games and activities.

Cheers, Erica

Dr. Erica Warren is the author, illustrator, and publisher of multisensory educational materials at Good Sensory Learning and Dyslexia Materials. She is also the director of Learning to Learn and Learning Specialist Courses.

· Blog: www.learningspecialistmaterials.blogspot.com
· YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/warrenerica1
· Podcast: https://godyslexia.com/
· Store: http://www.Goodsensorylearning.com/ & www.dyslexiamaterials.com
· Courses: http://www.learningspecialistcourses.com/
Newsletter Sign-up: https://app.convertkit.com/landing_pages/69400

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Accommodating Students with Dyslexia: 12 Strategies for Success

Image
Students with dyslexia or symptoms of dyslexia often struggle in school. It is not that they have limited abilities.  On the contrary, many have IQs in the above average or genius range. As a result, instead of a dumbed down curriculum, these students need to be challenged and they need to receive accommodations, modifications and multisensory teaching techniques to unleash their learning potential.   What makes it difficult to accommodate students with dyslexia is that each student has their own unique strengths and weaknesses. Yes, two students with dyslexia don’t have the same pattern of cognitive processing deficits. In fact, there are a number of profiles that can lead to this diagnosis . In addition, there are a number of specific cognitive skills that can cause symptoms of dyslexia . Consequently, a successful remediation often requires a tailored, individualized approach.  To tap into the quickest results, I have learned that one has to look at the specific cognitive difficul
Read more

Finding the Best College for Students with Learning Disabilities

Image
Finding the best college is tricky for any student, but for those with learning disabilities (LDs) it can be an even bigger feat.  In fact, the perfect school is out there for practically anyone, but finding it, takes some time and persistence.  There are a number of options for students with LDs from colleges that cater primarily to this population to larger universities that offer specialized programs.  With the proper testing in hand, all schools are mandated to provide reasonable accommodations, but not all institutions make it an easy task. What Are My Options? Pre-colleges for Students with Learning Disabilities: These programs help to prepare students for the rigors of college and make sure they have the study skills, basic math, reading and writing capabilities needed to be a successful student.  This might be a summer program or an additional year - commonly called a 13th year.  For example, Thames at Mitchell College is a unique transition program on a college campus. Coll
Read more

Important Dyslexia Accommodations in the Classroom

Image
Getting a school to recognize, test, and then accommodate your child with dyslexia can be an arduous and frustrating task. Although public school systems can accommodate the individual needs of our struggling students, many administrators don’t like to tap into the general education coffers for a single student. As a result, parents often have to rally and wrestle to obtain reasonable accommodations for their children with dyslexia and other disabilities that impact learning. The key to navigating this slippery slope is to understand the laws, the lingo as well as the menus of mandated accommodations and modifications. What are my Options? There are two options for acquiring accommodations: 504: A 504 is a formal plan that protects the rights of students with disabilities in school. Covered under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, this civil rights law gives students with disabilities access to services and supports in the general education classroom. There are no mandated rules on
Read more