EDUCATION
By Jill Morgenstern
Pandemic Teaching Through Play How Board Games Encourage Brain Development
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ith concerns about COVID-19 still prominent, parents are looking for productive ways to make the most of family time. In these days of uncertainty board games provide not only a cozy family memory but learning and brain development in many different areas. This is good news to parents who are facing the unknown when it comes to
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school starting soon. A 2008 study from Germany found that children who were given an extra hour of chess per week had an increased ability in basic math skills over their counterparts who were given an extra hour of traditional math instruction. Some homeschoolers already have realized the many benefits of board games and rely heavily on them to educate their children.
Math skills As the study from Germany demonstrated, math skills learned during board games may be even more beneficial than doing actual homework! But it’s not only chess that improves children’s math ability. Kids can practice counting points or board movements in all sorts of games. Other games, such as Yahtzee, also teach NEAPOLITANfamily • August 2020
