LO CAL R ES O UR CES / S CH O O L S + PR ES CH O O L S
Why You Should Try Gameschooling Your Kids This fall, our kids are living in a whole new world of virtual learning, and many parents are looking for ways to supplement their children’s education in more fun, less stressful ways. How can parents work with kids to learn new skills even after class has been dismissed? Enter a popular trend that’s gaining steam among virtual learning families: gameschooling. Whether you use it as your primary method of teaching your children or simply as a means to supplement your child’s virtual education, gameschooling will almost certainly be a great option for your family.
long before they get antsy and lose focus. But games? Kids can play games for hours. What can my child learn just by playing games? Even the most basic games (think Candy Land) teach young kids skills such as taking turns and practicing good sportsmanship. With a bit of research, you can take your kids’ game playing to a whole new level, finding games that teach specific subjects and upping the ante with games that require true strategy and critical thinking.
What is gameschooling? Just like it sounds, gameschooling is teaching through playing games. Whether it’s manufactured board games you buy or a game you create in your own home, it’s all about games, games, games.
What about the three R’s? While some gameschooling families use games only to supplement instruction in areas where their kids are struggling, some homeschooling families choose to base their entire curriculum on gameschooling. Either way, when kids enjoy learning, they are much more likely to remember what they’ve learned and be able to incorporate that knowledge into their daily lives.
Why should you consider gameschooling? Kids can only sit through lectures, educational videos and workbook sessions for so
What if my children are at different ability levels? Having kids at different levels of ability doesn’t mean that they can’t play
games together — in fact, playing games encourages teamwork and mentorship. Many games, such as Forbidden Island, have a cooperative option, meaning kids of different ages can work cooperatively to beat the game, as opposed to competing against one another. The act of teaching younger siblings a new skill or idea also reinforces knowledge that the older siblings already have. How do I get started? Interested families can check out websites such as My Little Poppies (my-little-poppies.com) and Gameschool Academy (homeschoolgameschool.com), which are dedicated to gameschooling. These sites are filled with advice about what games are suitable for specific subjects, age groups and ability levels. In addition, parents can connect with Facebook groups that are focused on educating fellow parents about the many options available within the realm of gameschooling. — Erin Smith
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