The Advantages of Games in Teaching Children

Today's teachers use many games in their classrooms. Games are perceived as exciting, fun and challenging by teachers as well as students, according to Leicha Bragg, education professor at Deakin University in Victoria, Australia.

  1. Providing Extra Practice

    • Games offer opportunities for practice and skill application beyond paper and pencil drills. Striving to win the game offers a context to use ideas taught in class.

    Developing Problem Solving Skills

    • Richard Sandford, a researcher at the non-profit educational research firm Futurelabs, wrote in his 2006 paper "Teaching with Games" that games build problem-solving skills through their design. That's because players must surmount obstacles to achieve the desired ends.

    Enhancing Higher-Level Thinking

    • Rikke Magnussen of Learning Lab Denmark describes a class of simulation/role playing games designed to help students think more clearly, develop problem-solving skills and work collaboratively. Games such as Homicide, where students take on the roles of forensic detectives, promote analysis, evaluation and synthesis of new ideas. Similar games include the popular Sims and Tycoon series computer games and teacher-designed games mimicking adult life.

    Building Communication and Social Skills

    • From the simplest childhood games to more complex pastimes for teens, games teach communication and social skills. Players must take turns, adjust to winning or losing graciously and talk to opponents and teammates.

    Motivating Student Learning

    • Games provide reasons to develop skills. For students who are competitive by nature, those who enjoy challenges and those who need additional context to make knowledge acquisition immediately profitable, games provide the link between learning and the real world.

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