Discover the Magic of Games in the Classroom

If you want to make learning not only easy, but fun, don't miss out on how games help students learn faster and easier. It's all about the brain!

It about Dopamine baby!

You can think of dopamine as the feel good hormone.  It's involved with falling in love, winning a prize, and eating your favorite food.  Here's the key....it's also a major compont of learning.  Why?  Dopamine is a neurotransmitter.  That means it carries information between different parts of the brain. What does that mean?  It means dopamine cocnverts newly learned information into long-term memory.  No dopamine, much less memory.  

If students are stressed, or unhappy during learning, that learning has a very hard time making it into long-term memory.  Dopamine levels increase when we learn new and pleasureable information. In fact, research shows that Dopamine levels increase motivation and goal-directed behavior. Happy students equal better learning.

That implies that the goal of education, before any education can take place, is to increase dopamine levels!

How do games increase dopamine levels?

Games make kids happy.  They get to socialize (which we all love), and they are constantly hit with dopamine every time they get a question right, or solve a problem.  In fact, in a game-based learning environment kids grow to crave that rewarding moment when they solve a challenging problem.  That builds the motivation to persevere, and seek out that pleasurable problem solving situation again.  That's the golden ticket of education! 

 Does This Actually Work in the Classroom?

A new study from Vanderbilt University shows that students who played educational games outperformed their peers on standardized tests. Teachers in the study said:

1.  Content games helped to foster in-depth learning, developed critical thinking and problem solving skills

2. Quiz-style games reinforced lessons and helped review material

3. Different types of game play stimulated interest and engagement, particularly in students prone to being off-task

4. Games prompted student-led discussions, collaboration and the sharing of knowledge

5. Simple and complex games increased confidence and content mastery 

6. Teachers reported increased engagement

7.  Improved attention spans: students who normally were off-task became more focused on learning

92% of teachers who used educational games said they would do it again because of the impact on student performance and engagement.  To me, number 3 is the key.  

Resources:

https://www.edsurge.com/news/2017-03-06-new-research-proves-game-based-learning-works-here-s-why-that-matters 

https://blog.mindresearch.org/blog/infographic-brains-games-and-learning 

https://www.eschoolnews.com/2017/10/19/educational-games-teachers/2/

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TIME FOR A FREEBIE

So! To get you started I have four free board games for you.  They are designed to use with any task cards you may already have for reading and math, or with your own questions. Just add dice or a spinner and you're good to go.  I use a dime and a nickel as place holders. Click on the picture below to get your freebie!

To get 65 full color game boards with themes from the curriculum, holidays and sports, plus 71 black and white boards check out the resource below by clicking on the picture.

Use Figurative Language to Engage the most Reluctant Learners!

Exaggeration, repeating sounds and playing with language grabs attention.  It just does! That's why people use it.  It's also why teachers use figurative language to dazzle students with listening, speaking, or reading language. So what's the key?  How is it done? Will it really make that totally bored kid in the corner sit up and take notice? You bet it will! Just check out the suggestions below.

Be sure to check out the two free activity sheets on idioms at the bottom of the post. They include grading keys.

1. SUPRISE....POETRY

Yup! I'm not "pulling your leg" or "spitting into the wind", Poetry can be the super-engaging way to reach even students who are struggling the most, or who think they are bored out of their minds. Start with Shel Silveerstein and you can't go wrong. He uses figurative language that plays with language in every poem. You can't niss it!  Once students learn to recognize the basic forms of figurative language ( idioms, similes, metaphors, onomatopoeia, personification, proverbs, hyperbole, and alliteration) It makes finding them in poetry even more fun.
         a.  Use poetry to have a figurative language hunt in pairs or small groups
         b.  Choose a poem and have groups of students replace language used with figurative language. Read together and enjoy.

2. For Reluctant Writers

Focusing on Figurative language often helps reluctant writers get out of "writer's block" since they have something to focus on.
        a. Give students a well known figurative language saying (When pigs fly, etc) and asks them to write a paragraph using that saying in a way that makes sense. Doing this with a partner offers even more help and support to reluctant writers. Then get together to read the paragraphs and enjoy.
        b.  Challenge students to use as many figurative language examples as possible in one paragraph.  This one works great when done in small groups. It's also a ton of fun.
        c.  Ask students to list something they would like to personify. (desk, pencil, shirt, car etc.) Then ask students to list ten words only a person would normally do. Next ask students to write a paragraph personifying the thing they choose, using words from their list.

3.  To Encourage Fluency

Someetimes it's really hard to get kids to read with better fluency. Often that means they have to learn how to read faster  In cases like that, and to encourage reading in even the most reluctant reader, give students a long sentence filled with alliteration.  Then challenge students to read the sentence as fast as possible and still be understood.  It will get everyone laughing and accomplish the goal at hand.  Some well known examples you might use are below:

1.  Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers. If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers, where are the peppers that Peter Piper picked?

2.  A big bug bit the little beetle, but the little beetle bit the big bug back.

3.  How much wood would a woodchuck chuck, if a woodchuck would chuck wood?  A woodchuck would chuck all the wood he could chuck, if a woodchuck would chuck wood.

4.  Silly Sally swiftly shooed seven silly sheep.  The seven silly sheep Silly Sally shooed shilly-shallied south.  These sheep shouldn't sleep in a shack.

I Have a FREEBIE....in fact two freebies complete with grading keys!  Click on the link below the pictures!  If you are interested in the 103 page Figurative language resource the freebies come from, check out: Figurative Language Teaching Pages

Get Your Freebies Here

Are you interested in resources that teach, and reinforce the different types of figurative language?  This resource includes worksheets, task cards and more!  Click on the picture below to check it out!