[HI1] COUNSELOR’S CORNER
Using Board Games as Learning Tools
Thomas Armstrong, Ph.D.
Most families enjoy board games from time to time as a way of relaxing and having fun. Did you know, however, that while your family's having a good time, you're also providing your children with a marvelous experience? Many games do a wonderful job of providing kids with important learning experiences. • Scrabble, for example, helps kids with spelling and vocabulary development. • Monopoly provides them with the opportunity to engage in arithmetic while handling finances. • Clue requires players to think logically and deductively. • Battleship teaches children about the Cartesian coordinate system, so important to map reading and higher mathematics. • Pictionary and the game Win, Lose, or Draw help develop visual thinking abilities by requiring players to draw concepts and ideas. Just because games are educational, however, doesn't mean you should force your children to play them or grade them on their efforts. Games need to be entered into voluntarily and enjoyed for their own sake, in order for their true educational benefits to be realized.
We have now completed the second week of school and I hope that you and your children are becoming more familiar with the policies and procedures of Maplebrook Elementary We are so glad to have each and every one of you here!
Some of you are concerned that your child may not be academically motivated. Academically motivated children want to learn, like learning-related activities, and believe that school is important. At Maplebrook we want to help children develop a desire to do well in school because they believe that learning is important and rewarding in their lives.
Children are naturally motivated to learn when they are infants. This early motivation to learn is later applied to school related activities such as reading and writing. When children are not motivated to learn, it is because something has gotten in the way of their natural motivation. They believe that they cannot do well in school-related tasks, and they stop trying or do not try hard enough. Since they stop trying, they are not successful.
Why do children develop these negative beliefs? Sometimes it is because of things that affect their ability to learn, but sometimes it is the attitudes of adults that affect their academic progress. Parents who have standards that are unrealistic can be discouraging to children. Children who don’t experience success or whose success is not recognized, or whose parents do not think that school is important may develop poor academic motivation.
There are some things that parents can do to increase their child’s motivation to be successful:
l. Be firm and fair when you discipline your child. Reasonable discipline will teach them to be independent and responsible.
2. Teach your child to be responsible at home
3. Let your child know that you think learning is important and is the purpose of school.
4. Have a set routine for school work and a place to do it.
5. Make sure that your children finish school work before doing other activities.
6. Show your child that you respect his or her teacher.
7. Develop a system to give reinforcements at home for hard work in school.
8. Reward effort and productivity
9. Limit things that interfere with learning, such as excessive TV, video games, athletic activities, play time.
Marge Wyatt
School Counselor
Counselor’s Corner
4 Ways to Help Your Child Focus
Most children start off with short attention spans. Their ability to focus develops as they grow older. Here are a few suggestions for helping your child strengthen this ever-expanding skill:
- Move slowly. In the early years, children tend to move quickly from one activity or point of interest to another. Try a "slow motion" game where you ask your child to slowly and deliberately walk to an object, pick it up, and bring it to you.
- Encourage him to notice each step and action, increasing the complexity of the tasks every time. This helps him to become more aware of his thoughts and movements.
- Watch and listen. Two of the most important ways children learn to focus is by strengthening their senses of sight and sound. Take a silent "listening walk" around the house or the neighborhood, pointing in the direction of sounds to help your child concentrate. At the end, talk about what you heard. Next time try a silent "watching walk."
- Take turns. Play board games or tell stories at the dinner table, encouraging each family member to pay attention when another is in the spotlight. It's a fun way to help your young one hone his focusing skills — and some of the older participants could probably benefit from the practice, too.
[HI1]