This week Sandrine and Christophe, the creators of the Learning through games blog, explain to us why and how to use educational games for school learning with Nolte games. Blended couple with four children, three of whom live at home, they practiced family education for 6 years. It is therefore at home that their children learned their first skills and acquired the common base of knowledge, skills, and culture, which represents what every pupil must know and master at the end of compulsory schooling.
During this period, they experimented with several forms of pedagogy. They started with school at home, then tested correspondence courses and finally independent learning. But the most effective form is by far learning through play.
For several years, Sandrine has hijacked many board games to introduce all the basic concepts that their children had to acquire.
This ranged from mathematics, to history, through conjugation, grammar, geography. Then, she started to create her own board games, which she designed, drew, printed. Then came the time to share with their children. They were really able to realize that the game is the ideal tool for school learning. They can be used from an early age and until the end of the compulsory school age of 16 years.
1. The importance of play for the child
Play is the main source of development for children, whether emotionally, socially, physically or intellectually. It is also his preferred way of learning. When the child plays, he does not have the impression that he is learning and yet he is developing skills and knowledge.
has. Play is essential to the harmonious development of the child.
Play is the main activity of infants and grandchildren during their waking periods. He indulges in it instinctively from an early age without the need to force him to do so. Moreover, until the age of 7, apart from his basic needs, the child mainly thinks of playing.
Unfortunately, most adults are unaware of the importance of play in child development. They often view gambling as a waste of time, or at best as a recreation, a recreational activity. On the contrary, play is essential to help children build their personality and identity. Play is the main source of development for children, whether emotionally, socially, physically or intellectually.
Play is the most natural way to develop intelligence and both manual and intellectual abilities. It also allows him to understand and apprehend the world around him. It is thus through board games and collective games that he manages to integrate into a group and thus find his place. Among other things, and as far as we are concerned, play allows the child to discover and learn while having fun. It also allows him to exercise his imagination and creativity. In summary, the virtues of play for child development are innumerable.
b. Play and school learning.
However, it so happens that in our education system, as soon as the child enters primary school, he almost completely ceases these playful activities, apart from recess and for a few team sports. The transition is relatively abrupt, but is it necessary? In other words, could we not continue to use the game for school learning?
Many studies encourage learning through play in preschool age. It is interesting at this point to distinguish between free play and directed play. Free play is – as its name suggests – a game where the child retains full control of what he is doing. In directed play, the educator or the parent will direct the play to lead the child to acquire certain abilities or certain notions.
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But research on school learning through play from primary school onwards is more sporadic. On the French-speaking web, the first studies that emerge are Canadian, Belgian and Swiss. As if the question was taboo, or in any case hidden, in France.
School learning through play has serious advantages that it would be a shame to neglect.
vs. Learning through play, is effective because pleasant.
The first advantage of school learning through play is that the child acquires self-confidence, because he is not evaluated during the game. He wins or he loses, but it is in the game, not in life. Or even better, everyone wins, as in cooperative games, which are to be advocated.
On the other hand, the game promotes creativity and thus leaves the child in a positive, open attitude.
But above all, compared to work, play retains a pleasant character in the eyes of children. Because it is an activity that is – and should remain – fun and relaxing. And so, it is an activity chosen by the child, unlike homework or even didactic lessons. One cannot make a donkey drink which is not thirsty, they say. But try to teach something to a child who doesn’t want to! It’s the same thing. If your child does not want to eat, are you going to force him? It would be totally counterproductive. This is why the game is particularly effective for school learning.
d. No specific goal, but the advantage of repetition.
On the other hand, the game allows much more flexibility compared to work. We do not expect a precise, immediate effect from the game. We must indeed take into account the principle of repetition. Because a concept or knowledge cannot be acquired and memorized all at once. However, the game makes it possible to come back to notions or knowledge. But he does it gently, contrary to duty, or a lesson that must be learned. The game can thus allow the acquisition of knowledge or skills that are more difficult to acquire through traditional pedagogies.
This is why we defend the idea that the game should be the privileged support in the field of school learning.
On the other hand, it often calls on skills that are different from traditional learning, because all media can be considered: sound, visual, mime, modeling clay, etc. thus mobilizing the capacities specific to each child. All children are not necessarily comfortable with writing, yes, it is a reality.
Learning through play can also be an opportunity for all young people who are beginning to drop out of the traditional system, because they do not find it, for many reasons.
Thus, the game allows the child to maintain the desire and the pleasure of learning. Because this will is essential in learning, and it is an area in which the classic system is the most failing. The game is therefore a great tool for school learning that it would be a shame to ignore.
e. The child must be the engine of his learning.
It is obviously desirable for the child to always have a positive attitude. For this, it is necessary to encourage his natural curiosity. Which also means adapting to their learning rhythms. Manage not to force him when he doesn’t want to, and encourage him when he is in demand. This is really where it is the most promising and the most interesting, because the child thus becomes a driving force in his learning.
It is not necessarily necessary to want to go as far as autonomous learning, where the course of his schooling is left entirely free to the child. A child who chooses himself what he wants to study will necessarily be more receptive to learning which he himself is the initiative. And that he will necessarily be more reluctant towards learning that arises from an external will, even a benevolent one.
But it must be recognized that the school does not allow children to be the engines of their own learning. And this, whatever the pedagogy and methods used. This is obviously to be deplored, because the child will tend to feel “stuffed”. But this is unfortunately the mode of operation of the school: “to acquire knowledge”. Whereas it would be so much simpler and more rewarding to let the child develop on their own. On the other hand, it must be admitted that all children are not necessarily ready for independent learning, and that they will still need to be guided and supervised.
2. How to set up educational games
has. Divert existing games.
The first method for setting up educational games is to divert existing games. This is the simplest step. And this is the one with which Sandrine obviously started. As she shows in her “ 6-week challenge, 1 diverted game per day ”, almost all games can be used as a support and can be diverted for school learning. The goal is that children continue to want to play. We must therefore not impose the game on them. But if it is a game that they like, they will easily lend themselves to the game, precisely. Because children in general like to bend the rules and create new ones, even if adults don’t necessarily like it.
It is also an experiment that we have tried and that you can do yourself with your children. Namely, take one of their favorite games, and ask them to invent a new rule themselves to insert school learning.
