Teaching With Digital Games in Elementary School

What do Super Mario, board games, card games, and you have in common? The ability to facilitate engaging, fun experiences through play. Game-based learning happens when educators use games to reinforce content, provide feedback to students, assess student knowledge and understanding, and allow for concept application.

Game-based learning works because playing games, which releases dopamine, increases the creation of synapses in the brain. Game-based learning can encompass computerized games, card or board games, whole group games, small group games, and independent gaming experiences.

I use tech options for game-based learning in my classroom for several reasons, the first being how apps lend themselves so well to data collection and analysis. Kahoot, Quizizz, and Blooket all provide data on student answers as well as graphs for whole class data. This is not something that nontechnology options can provide, at least none that I’ve encountered. Second, using technology provides my students practice with skills they’ll use throughout their lives.

Game-based learning in third grade

When I taught third grade, I used game-based learning platforms to collect assessment data, review concepts, and provide immediate learner feedback. We had a one-to-one device ratio.

The first step of establishing game-based learning in any classroom is ensuring that students know how to use the devices that are available. It was crucial that all the students could log in to the devices independently, navigate the internet browser, and use my Google Classroom, where the links to activities and games were housed. This is achievable by giving students time to practice using the technology and by providing direct instruction on how to use the devices.

Next, it’s important to give clear instructions for using the games. Modeling the tools can also be beneficial to students. I modeled navigation and gameplay with my students for various game-based learning tools, using my own computer and interactive whiteboard screen.

This is also the time to state expectations for students using technology, like how to hold the devices, use the touch screens and track pads, return the devices to a storage and charging cart, etc. While it may feel like you are wasting instructional time, this will save time in the long run and allow you to use these technology tools over and over again throughout the school year. Anchor charts can be helpful in displaying and explaining the expectations for technology usage and game-based learning in your classroom.

The game-based learning tools that I used most often in my third-grade classroom were Kahoot and Blooket. These are traditional game-based learning platforms in that they are designed like computer games and have leaderboards. I used both platforms for guided practice, for content review, and as technology options for station rotations. Both tools also provide immediate feedback on whether students answered correctly, which is helpful in correcting misconceptions. 

One of my favorite ways to use Blooket was to review fractions and math facts. My students had so much fun with this that they asked to do more math fact reviews—they didn’t want to stop or move on to the next subject.

I also added a layer of motivation to play and put forth effort into answering the questions by joining the game myself. My students tried really hard to score better in the game than I did, and they used their mathematical automaticity to do so. I plan to use this with my fourth- and fifth-grade students this year.

Game-based learning in kindergarten

When I taught kindergarten, I needed to do more explicit instruction of device usage and game navigation because my students had less experience with games and technology. I had access to iPads, which are more user-friendly for little learners. Often, there is no log-in required, which is good for young students who are still learning how to identify their letters and may not be ready to type.

Kindergarten students were very excited to use iPads and had some familiarity with touch screens, which was helpful. I would show my students the picture of the app so they knew what to click. If time permitted, I would hand out the devices with the apps opened already. As with older students, it’s important to provide direct instruction and modeling on how to play the games, as well as expectations for using technology in the classroom. 

Quizizz was a favorite game for my kindergarten students on the iPads. I created games for my students to practice their rhyming skills and CVC (consonant-vowel-consonant) word decoding. I used lots of clip-art images when creating games, as they have limited reading skills.

The limited reading skills brings me to a whole group game that uses a teacher device and interactive whiteboard: JeopardyLabs. Teachers can create or use a premade Jeopardy game on classroom concepts. I used JeopardyLabs to review math facts and sight words with my kindergarten students. I allowed them to tap the screen to pick their questions. 

Also, there was a time that I had Chromebooks for my kindergarten learners, but not enough for each student to have their own. In this case, I set up several devices for Kahoot and had my students work in teams to play games. We used this to review phonics skills and geometric shapes. My students loved working together to answer questions on their Chromebooks.

When choosing tools that work for me and my students, I try to use the SAMR model. Essentially, the SAMR model delineates how to pick technology tools that are intentional for the classroom, using technology to transform and enhance the activities. SAMR is applicable to all technology integration, not just game-based learning.  

Additionally, I look at the cost of technology tools when picking what to use with my students. Another reason I like resources like Kahoot, Blooket, and Quizizz is because they are free. 

Whether you are a veteran teacher, a preservice teacher, or somewhere in between, game-based learning is a beneficial practice for engaging students and for meaningful instructional design. Hopefully, with some planning and reflection, you will be on your way to facilitating game-based learning for your students.