Digital games, especially educational games have been at the forefront of bringing about an educational revolution. Educational games also called learning games are a part of digital games. Learning games and educational games have been around since the late 90s and have changed how young people learn. Today, Doctor games for kids, math racing games, sports games, and language games are more popular than ever among younger audiences. Empirical data and several studies over the past decades have shown that educational games have benefited them in numerous ways. Digital games, learning games, and educational games have improved literacy, thinking skills, and knowledge about various subjects within younger audiences. Here are the ways in which games have transformed the educational experience for young people.
Digital games have helped develop a joy for learning among kids.
According to a study by Yıldırım & Demir (2016), students who have experienced a gamified approach to education said that they enjoyed the process. They also pointed out that it reinforced the knowledge they gained previously. It enabled them to communicate and engage in friendly competition with their fellow students as well.
Digital games make hard-to-learn topics & subjects approachable and make learning fun. Puzzles for 4 year olds online or a game that teaches science with interactive animations and interesting storylines engages children and helps them learn better. After playing educational games children develop a joy for learning and are more likely to learn frequently.
Digital games have helped provide young people with a route into reading and have improved literacy.
According to an expansive study by the National Literacy Trust (2020),
4 in 5 (79.4%) young people who play video games read materials relating to video games once a month, including in-game communications (39.9%), reviews and blogs (30.5%), books (21.8%), and fan fiction (19.4%). Several other games, like ABC Town, help children refine their language skills by learning through play. Digital games improve language skills like grammar, comprehension, listening comprehension, and more.
Digital games have encouraged young people to be creative through writing and have improved their writing skills.
Among young people, literacy is directly connected to academic success and success in later life. Digital games help improve children's writing and reading skills. 3 in 5 (62.5%) young people who play video games write something relating to video games once a month, including video game scripts (27.5%), advice to help other players (22.1%), fan fiction (10.8%) and blogs or reviews (8.0%). 1 in 3 (35.3%) young people who play video games believe playing video games makes them better readers. (National Literacy Trust, 2020)
Digital games encourage physical activity.
Studies by healthcare professionals show that young people that play sports games are more likely to pick up a sport themselves. Children are more likely to try out sports like soccer, basketball, and skateboarding, in real life when they play sports games. Physical activity is critical for young people. Physical activity helps maintain normal blood sugar levels, reduces the risk of several chronic diseases (including type 2 diabetes and obesity), and improves bone strength in children. Physical activity also improves academic performance by improving attention and memory. Learning games for 6 year olds like Street Soccer and Runners encourage children to be physically active.
Gaming increases cognitive functioning.
A study featured in the Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology journal found that children who play video games frequently had '1.75 times the odds of high intellectual functioning and 1.88 times the odds of high overall school competence' than those who did not play video games. Math games for kids are well known to improve analytical thinking, critical thinking, and logical thinking skills. A maths learning game like Go Ball helps kids improve their problem skills, while maths racing games like Race Cars and Bike Racing help children improve their fine motor skills.
In essence, digital games have improved literacy, reading skills, writing skills, and cognitive functioning, encouraged physical activity, and helped develop a joy for learning among younger audiences. Digital games have transformed the educational experience for young people in more ways than mentioned above. At SKIDOS we are aware of the positive impact games have on young people. We have developed over 40 valuable games that combine learning with fun. We offer several games ranging from math racing games to interactive language games. Our games are safe, kid-friendly, and contain no ads! Over 4 million kids use SKIDOS to learn math through play! With our subscription pass up to 6 users can enjoy the privileges of a single account. Visit skidos.com for learning games and be a part of the educational revolution!