Add the Educational Benefits of Well-Chosen Gaming to Your Children's Education

While video games were once considered a waste of time, this perception is rapidly shifting. Parents are discovering that thoughtfully selected, educational gaming can be an engaging tool for their children's development. Whether you are homeschooling full-time or simply want to supplement your child's education, consider using educational video games as a tool to inspire, engage, motivate, and teach.

Educational Benefits of Gaming

While video games have long been known to improve manual dexterity, Geico explains there is growing acceptance that gaming can be a great workout for your brain as well. Evidence shows that playing thoughtfully selected video games can encourage cognitive reasoning, regulate emotions, increase spatial understanding and improve hand-eye coordination.

Gaming can also teach players to think on their feet and make quick choices. Because many games are fast-paced, players become skilled at absorbing sensory data and quickly translating it into decisions. Moreover, since a challenge is at the core of every video game, the nonprofit Understood notes problem-solving skills are sharpened as players attack a problem from different angles, learn from their mistakes, and calculate a new approach based on prior experience.

Researchers in China and Australia actually scanned the brains of gaming experts and found that they had more grey matter as well as more connections between insular cortex subregions. This likely means that the skills developed by gaming are carried over into other parts of your child's life.

There is also a social benefit to be gained from video games. Many argue that gaming can be isolating, but there are many games that preserve the normal social interactions that are so critical during childhood by allowing collaboration and social interaction between players.

What about the belief that parents should limit their child's screen time? While this still holds true for the very young, most experts feel that school-age children are fine with more screen time, especially when they are playing educational games.

Criteria To Consider When Choosing Games

It's important to keep in mind that not all video games are great for learning. When deciding if a particular game will be beneficial, ask yourself whether the following criteria are met.

First, does the game provide goals and objectives as well as clear rules for reaching them? Your child needs to understand the point of the game, and there needs to be an intrinsic payoff. This allows the child to strategize and stay motivated until the objective (or payoff) is reached. Adventure Academy is a great example, since kids go on an adventure relating to subjects like reading, social studies or science. They create their character, build a home, and select learning opportunities from there.

Next, does the game provide interaction and feedback? When your actions continually produce consequences in the world of video games, you can learn as you go. Games that give the player a lot of flexibility provide maximum opportunity for learning. Players are presented with the consequences of their decisions in real-time, providing them with the opportunity to reevaluate their choices and choose their next move.

Games like Buzzmath, as an example, track players’ progress on the go, so kids get continual feedback on how things are progressing. Children can move through increasingly difficult levels, building upon the knowledge and feedback they've already received.

Best Equipment To Use

To help ensure that the gaming experience is a smooth one, it's a good idea to invest in a couple items and a fast internet connection. Shop for a gaming computer that has enough processing power as well as the proper video card with dedicated RAM and a graphics processing unit. You may also want to pick up a new set of headphones so your child can enjoy playing without distracting your household with noise. In terms of your internet connection, it's wise to invest in 5G for reliable and ultra-fast service.

In today's high-tech world, video games should no longer be viewed as the enemy. Instead, innovative parents should integrate these games into their child's education. Not only will children have fun and stay engaged with these games, but they can also gain skills and knowledge along the way.

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