218: What children learn from video games

Last week, parent Nicole and I talked with @TheGamerEducator Ash Brandin about the challenges we can have when our kids love video games. [insert link to previous episode] I had also hoped to ask Ash a lot of questions about what children learn from video games but we completely ran out of time, so I spent a fun day reading 10 books on the topic at the University of New Mexico library (non-students can’t check out books!). I wanted to know a lot more about: Why do children find video games so attractive? And can we use that information to make the transitions away from screen time easier - as well as support their off-screen learning? Even if video games don’t lead children to violence, are they picking up ideas that aren’t aligned with our values? What useful skills are our children learning from video games, and how is this different from school-based learning? If you want to learn how to support your child’s learning even more effectively than video games do, come and join me for the FREE You Are Your Child’s Best Teacher workshop. We’ll start together on Wednesday August 7 - you’ll get a short email on each of the five following weekdays with an idea to consider and a short homework to think about, write about, or do with your child. The weekend in the middle of the workshop offers an ideal opportunity for you to begin your child’s first Learning Exploration where they are leading the process rather than you! Sign-up for the FREE workshop is available now: www.yourparentingmojo.com/bestteacher