This selection of 40 games and simulations is a valuable resource that has been compiled for use by trainers, facilitators, managers, adult educators, teachers, coaches, students, or anyone who wnats to learn.
Learn While You Play With These Fun, Creative Activities & Games From two experienced educators and moms, 100 Fun & Easy Learning Games for Kids prepares your children to thrive in school and life the fun way by using guided play at home to teach important learning topics—reading, writing, math, science, art, music and global studies. Turn off the TV and beat boredom blues with these clever activities that are quick and easy to set up with common household materials. The huge variety of activities means you can choose from high-energy group games full of laughter and delight, or quiet activities that kids can complete on their own. All activities highlight the skill they teach, and some are marked with a symbol whether they are good for on-the-go learning or if they incorporate movement for kids to get their wiggles out. In Zip-Line Letters, children learn letter sounds as the letters zoom across the room. In Parachute Subtraction, place foam balls in a parachute, then kids shake the parachute and practice subtraction as they count how many balls fall off. Kids will have so much fun, they won’t even realize they’re gaining important skills! The activities are easy to adapt for all ages and skill levels. 100 Fun & Easy Learning Games for Kids is the solution for parents—as well as teachers, caregivers or relatives—to help kids realize how fun learning can be and develop what they’ll need to do well wherever life takes them.
There is a growing recognition in the learning sciences that video games can no longer be seen as impediments to education, but rather, they can be developed to enhance learning. Educational and developmental psychologists, education researchers, media psychologists, and cognitive psychologists are now joining game designers and developers in seeking out new ways to use video game play in the classroom. In Learning by Playing, a diverse group of contributors provide perspectives on the most current thinking concerning the ramifications of leisure video game play for academic classroom learning. The first section of the text provides foundational understanding of the cognitive skills and content knowledge that children and adolescents acquire and refine during video game play. The second section explores game features that captivate and promote skills development among game players. The subsequent sections discuss children and adolescents' learning in the context of different types of games and the factors that contribute to transfer of learning from video game play to the classroom. These chapters then form the basis for the concluding section of the text: a specification of the most appropriate research agenda to investigate the academic potential of video game play, particularly using those games that child and adolescent players find most compelling. Contributors include researchers in education, learning sciences, and cognitive and developmental psychology, as well as instructional design researchers.
The untold story of the root cause of America's education crisis--and the seemingly endless cycle of multigenerational poverty. It was only after years within the education reform movement that Natalie Wexler stumbled across a hidden explanation for our country's frustrating lack of progress when it comes to providing every child with a quality education. The problem wasn't one of the usual scapegoats: lazy teachers, shoddy facilities, lack of accountability. It was something no one was talking about: the elementary school curriculum's intense focus on decontextualized reading comprehension "skills" at the expense of actual knowledge. In the tradition of Dale Russakoff's The Prize and Dana Goldstein's The Teacher Wars, Wexler brings together history, research, and compelling characters to pull back the curtain on this fundamental flaw in our education system--one that fellow reformers, journalists, and policymakers have long overlooked, and of which the general public, including many parents, remains unaware. But The Knowledge Gap isn't just a story of what schools have gotten so wrong--it also follows innovative educators who are in the process of shedding their deeply ingrained habits, and describes the rewards that have come along: students who are not only excited to learn but are also acquiring the knowledge and vocabulary that will enable them to succeed. If we truly want to fix our education system and unlock the potential of our neediest children, we have no choice but to pay attention.
Every body is made to move, and moving is one of the best things we can do for our bodies. children who learn the joy of moving at an early age improve their chances of remaining active and healthy throughout life. The games in this book will also help children develop a healthy sense of play. Thes noncompetititve games - which focus on pure movement, rather than dance or music - stress excitement, humour, challenge, surprise and cooperation. Players just need enthusiasm and a willingness to explore activities with others.
Music is wonderful for bringing out creativity and encouraging learning in kids. They love to sing and dance, and they love it when adults sing and dance along with them. Appropriate for families, teachers, day care providers, and camp leaders, this book presents lively music games that children and adults can play together. Using popular songs, easy rhythms, and musical recordings, the games in this book help children develop creative, personal, and social skills. They also learn about music and sound. The games are not competitive, they encourage and reward children for participating, not for winning.
Cognitive Development in a Digital Age James Paul Gee begins his classic book with "I want to talk about video games–yes, even violent video games–and say some positive things about them." With this simple but explosive statement, one of America's most well-respected educators looks seriously at the good that can come from playing video games. This revised edition expands beyond mere gaming, introducing readers to fresh perspectives based on games like World of Warcraft and Half-Life 2. It delves deeper into cognitive development, discussing how video games can shape our understanding of the world. An undisputed must-read for those interested in the intersection of education, technology, and pop culture, What Video Games Have to Teach Us About Learning and Literacy challenges traditional norms, examines the educational potential of video games, and opens up a discussion on the far-reaching impacts of this ubiquitous aspect of modern life.
101 ways to energize any ho-hum day Created by award-winning educators, these easy-to-learn, giggle-as-you-go games are designed to be both fun and educational. These activities in reading, logic, science, measuring, listening, social studies, and math are the perfect complement to your K-5 curriculum. Get the fun and the learning started with games such as: Bug Bite: Players flip over vocabulary word cards and slap the table when a bug card comes up. Whoever slaps first reads all the words and then keeps the card. The child with the most cards wins! Bull's-Eye Feather Math: Children blow feathers around a bull's-eye game board with straws as they sharpen their multiplication skills. Geography Baseball: Players find map locations that are “pitched” to them. The more “hits” they get, the faster they score runs. Fishy Facts: Players snag paper fish with a fishing pole and hook. If they can answer the question on the side of the fish, they score. . . . and many more! BONUS: Games are ranked for noise levels!
With more than 20 years of coaching and teaching experience, UK authors Anthony Dowson and Keith Morris have realized that children's encounters with sporting activities need to be creative, entertaining and fun. Children can be encouraged to engage in physical activity through fun games that stimulate both body and mind. Fun games keep children healthy and active now as well as contribute to a more positive attitude towards physical activity for life. In response to numerous requests from teachers and coaches, the authors have developed and adapted an array of activities and games from their own everyday use when teaching children. The book contains a range of warm-up ideas, games, skill practices and sport-specific activities to motivate children and encourage active participation. The games use only common sport equipment and are supported by easy-to-follow instructions and illustrations. Useful in both planning and providing physical education lessons and recreational experiences, this book makes it easy to create a varied and exciting program. The text includes more than 30 multi-sport games suitable for children of ages 5 to 16. There are sport-specific games for cricket, striking and fielding, rugby, soccer, tennis, badminton and hockey, as well as parachute games. All activities are designed to improve children's skills in specific sports through the use of enjoyable games to promote learning. Each game offers multiple variations designed to suit a wide range of ages and abilities. With childhood obesity becoming increasingly common, children's physical activity is becoming more important. Healthy, active young people now mean a future generation of adults less affected by the health problems associated with obesity and inactive lifestyles. Anyone who has the responsibility of organizing activities for young people will find the ideas in Fun and Games invaluable. Through the practical games in this book, children will develop new skills as they participate in fun and enjoyable activities.
What if schools, from the wealthiest suburban nursery school to the grittiest urban high school, thrummed with the sounds of deep immersion? More and more people believe that can happen - with the aid of video games. Greg Toppo's The Game Believes in You presents the story of a small group of visionaries who, for the past 40 years, have been pushing to get game controllers into the hands of learners. Among the game revolutionaries you'll meet in this book: *A game designer at the University of Southern California leading a team to design a video-game version of Thoreau's Walden Pond. *A young neuroscientist and game designer whose research on "Math Without Words" is revolutionizing how the subject is taught, especially to students with limited English abilities. *A Virginia Tech music instructor who is leading a group of high school-aged boys through the creation of an original opera staged totally in the online game Minecraft. Experts argue that games do truly "believe in you." They focus, inspire and reassure people in ways that many teachers can't. Games give people a chance to learn at their own pace, take risks, cultivate deeper understanding, fail and want to try again—right away—and ultimately, succeed in ways that too often elude them in school. This book is sure to excite and inspire educators and parents, as well as provoke some passionate debate.