Interest-Led Learning When Your Child Only Likes Video Games ~
Written by Shawna Wingert of Different by Design Learning
I was on the phone with another homeschooling mom last week.
She was trying to work through how to best teach her twelve-year-old son without the resistance that was a daily struggle last year. “Have you tried an interest-led approach to learning?” I gently asked.
Frustrated and discouraged, she replied, “How can I take an interest-led approach when his only interest is video games?”
I understand her concern.
We tend to view video games as a sort of enemy of education and learning, especially in the homeschool community. I used to feel the same way.
But over the course of the past few years, as my boys have matured into teens and I have had to find new ways to connect with them, I have come to see video games not as a threat, but a tool that we can use to help our kids learn.
Interest-Led Learning When Your Child Only Likes Video Games
The more I have learned about my sons’ interest in gaming, the more convinced I have become that we are missing real edcuational opportunities with our kids. Here’s why –
Not All Games Are Created Equal
I think the fear is that our children will be locked up inside a dark room all day playing violent, degrading games. While some of those types of games exist, there are many more that actually provide very real educational learning opportunities for our children.
For example, Minecraft has been a mainstay in our homeschool since I learned that signs can be created throughout the game. We use these signs to practice sight words with my struggling reader.
Another example in our home is Battlefield One. In this war game, my son has learned more about WWI than any textbook was ever able to teach him.
Video Games Provide Opportunities To connect With Our Children On Their Level
Just as our kids love to show us their latest art project or trick on the skateboard, they also enjoy showing us their skills in a virtual world. Knowing what they are playing, asking why they enjoy it, and providing positive reinforcement creates an environment of mutual respect. This respect is the foundation of interest-led learning.
We respect our kids’ interests and allow them to drive our approach to their education. Video games can absolutely be as valuable in interest-led learning as my youngest son’s interest in animals. We just have to take the time to learn about them, with our child as the guide.
Video Games Can Help Lead To Strength Based Learning
I have shared before how passionate I am about using our children’s strengths to drive their learning.
What has surprised me is how video games have actually revealed some of my boys’ natural gifts and strengths. For example, my youngest is a wizard at three dimensional thinking and building. It serves him well in video games, but I am also learning ways to incorporate this strength into our learning away from the screen.
The relationship between interests and strengths is quite significant. In fact, the combination of the two is what allows me to create strength based learning plans for my sons and for other families.
I have created a worksheet to help parents get started with this type of approach. It is available for free to Simple Homeschool readers HERE.
How To Use Video Games In Interest Led Learning
I want to leave you with some practical examples of how to incorporate video games into your homeschool.
Get Involved
My first recommendation is to participate in as much conversation and game play as possible. I don’t ever actually play games, but I do sit with my boys while they play. I ask them why they enjoy it and have them show me all their skills.
Use As A Starting point For Lessons
Last week, my son mentioned Russia was a location in the game he was playing. We got the map out and found it. We did a google search together to learn more about it. And then, we went back to the game and compared what we learned to what we saw on the screen. Was it an accurate depiction? Why not?
Another example in our homeschool is how we use mobile games. There is a Harry Potter mobile game that my son loves to play. He wanders the neighborhood, looking for magical creatures in the game. He gets a little exercise and fresh air and then we come home and practice reading aloud using the Harry Potter book series.
Use As A Check For Understanding
Some of the more creative video games, like Minecraft, easily serve as a kind of quiz to see how your child is retaining the information he’s learning. For example, my son created a Medieval Village in Minecraft to reflect what he had learned as part of our Medieval History unit study. It worked beautifully, almost like an online version of our old shoe box dioramas.
Overall, I have found video games to be a very useful part of our learning. The more I learn about the games my children play, the easier it is to find ways to incorporate this interest into our homeschool.
* Find more of Shawna’s inspiring posts on Simple Homeschool!
Do your kids play video games? Have you used them as part of your homeschool?
What’s Your Homeschool Mom Personality? Take Jamie’s quiz now and receive a free personality report to help you organize your homeschool based on what your type needs most!
5 magical moments homeschoolers can look forward to this year
Thank you, Shawna! I needed this 🙂 We are interest-led learners, but sometimes I do feel like all my son is interested in is Minecraft and Pokemon (which is completely unfair because he has a wide variety of interests and knowledge; this just happens to be what he’s most excited about right now). I’m going to check out your guide and see how we can support him and help expand on his interest!
It does feel like it sometimes! I hope you find the strength based guide helpful. It has changed our homeschool completely. 🙂
Love,
Shawna
Shawna Wingert’s latest post: My Favorite Resource For Homeschooling Children With Special Needs
I love this! It’s nearly impossible to get together with other moms without hearing someone express their shame over their kids’ enjoyment of technology. I will say that some of the the best jobs, the most lucrative niches in our economy are in tech and it’s a good parent who supports their children in becoming fluent in this language because it will give that child a huge advantage later on. When my daughter loses herself in Minecraft, I see her as riding that wave of creativity and inspiration when one finds their passion. Personally, I think the research we primarily hear about regarding the effects of video games is largely archaic and it’s a shame so many kids are turned away from their passions simply because of some ancient, one-dimensional studies. There are few tools, toys or activities out there as creative, intellectually stimulating, or engaging to kids and adults alike as technology. Most people don’t live on farms running ma-and-pa shops anymore. This is what our society is now and in the future so we should put away the shame, nurture healthy and whole beings and support their natural draw to the technology that controls this world we live in.
Oh my goodness, I want to give you a standing ovation for this! Well said and thank you so much.
Love,
Shawna
Shawna Wingert’s latest post: My Favorite Resource For Homeschooling Children With Special Needs
Have you been reading my mind lately because I was seriously just asking myself this question yesterday. Thank you so much for sharing these thoughts and strategies. I struggle to connect video games with learning on a daily basis, but I’ll get there. This article helps so much.
I am so glad, Celeste! Here’s the thing – it is not easy. I struggle to figure out the video game aspect of learning every day. You and I are both working to figure out how to best help our kiddos learn. I am learning that’s what this is all about, with or without the technology.
Love,
Shawna
Shawna Wingert’s latest post: My Favorite Resource For Homeschooling Children With Special Needs
Shawna, this is really helpful. I think I embraced video games as well as Youtube and other online learning as a great tool some time ago but there does always feel like a sort of second-guessing in my mind so having this framework to kind of ” hang it on” is really great:). I think the understanding of the benefits has been incremental for me. Years ago, I came to terms with all that was being gained from time on the computer and with video games and then when my older guys moved to online gaming, it took me a while to understand that process and the INTENSE focus that it brings with it (!). By talking to them about it, I slowly began to understand the team dynamics of online gaming of many genres and all the people they were learning about as well. Playing online basketball has actually improved my youngest son’s physical basketball game as he learns new strategies and tries new moves. It became a great social experience, not just with online friends from so many different places but also as another way to interact with local friends as well. Several times I have picked up a friend to head somewhere and the two of them will immediately have something to strategize about. I think your first point about “getting involved” ( to the degree that is healthy and wanted!) is key. It shows that we respect this form of creativity and strategy. Thank you:).
i have two boys who are just this! They love their games. But we rarely can find any I feel are quality for them to play and that they enjoy. I would love if you could share any of your boys favorites perhaps. I am sure there are lots of great ones out there finding them is just such a challenge! 🙂
This is an interesting methodology. I think that video games can be very useful. In fact, most of them can teach your child a lot if used correctly. My son, was very passionate about the game minecraft, he just loved to build a lot of buildings. I decided that this hobby could be put to good use, and I bought him a guide to the basics of architecture, and he tried to build different structures using the right methods. Recently, we wrote an admission essay for a College, and we gave it to the editorial staff at https://www.essayedge.com/ and waiting for the result. He will have to continue his hobby and train as an architect or civil engineer
I’m so glad I found this article and posts!! Its such a mind opening experience for me. I was raised that video gaming is bad and you cant do this or that. I am looking to homeschool my 4th grade son this upcoming year. I homeschooled a few yrs ago with my daughter using traditional methods…cant do that with my son, that’s for sure. I’m very new to this concept and trying to figure out what will work best for us.
Great article!
We allowed our youngest to use games in his learning much more (wish I had with elder son) and he worked as a server manager for a homeschool gaming company at 15, was a tech guy for our church, is a Digital Entertainment Tech major in college and works for their tech team. He can still read, write, converse, and think very deeply and well! 😀
Love it, Holly! Thanks for sharing!
Wow, just curious what is the homeschool gaming company that he worked for, and what college does he go to? This is so cool!