Classroom practices are constantly changing. From loose-leaf paper and no. 2 pencils, to iPads and gaming apps, it’s important that teachers are evolving with the times and instructing children in ways that are conducive to their individual learning styles. Students who are uninterested and unmotivated have impacted us all. Imagine using those children’s keenest interests to develop literacy skills and motivate reading more frequently—all while engaging with peers and having fun.

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Reading failure is a serious national problem. More than 50 percent of children in affluent homes and 80 percent of children in less affluent homes are not reading proficiently. Reading drops off significantly after age nine. Meanwhile, hundreds of millions of dollars are spent each year to focus on the act of reading, with little impact on improving the issue. The issue is tied directly to the underlying motivation to read, rather than a student’s ability to read.

Motivation is the gas that fuels a child’s educational engine. Although digital learning technology has become more prevalent in the 21st century classroom—enabling kids to be more engaged—there are few platforms today that help children derive knowledge from what they find interesting. If intrigued by the material, children will conquer a major barrier to reading development. Providing reading and learning methods that include students’ keenest interests plays a significant role in empowering them to become confident, life-long readers.

Teachers often ask me, “What do you do to keep them interested?” I respond by telling teachers they need to get to know their students and learn their interests first. I’ll never forget a little boy that was like a statue in my classroom. Once I was able to get him talking about his bicycle, and more specifically, its new fenders, it was like a switch turned on. He was finally engaged.  

Understanding learning styles and tying the lessons to the child’s interests is also important. There isn’t one universal teaching or learning method, of course. But in the modern classroom, digital games are a powerful platform for motivating student learning because they are directly tied to students’ interests. Not only does edu-gaming help children embrace knowledge and improve critical thinking abilities, but it also plays a significant role in developing social skills. In fact, playing the right games can offer these educational benefits. Despite the naysayers’ opinions, playing video games will not rot your students’ brains.

Education is not only about teaching workplace skills; it’s also about teaching kids to understand culture and vital concepts, such as supply and demand. When playing Minecraft or Clash of Clans, for example, kids have to earn available supplies within the game for survival. Kids also learn about teamwork and cause and effect. Today, edu-gaming can provide these lessons and are more than simple forms of entertainment. Kids use their imaginations, employ problem-solving strategies to overcome obstacles and practice social skills through online and offline interactions with other gamers. In essence, gaming teaches important life skills that kids can easily pick up on.

While playing games of all kinds, children get a desire to tackle obstacles that are challenging, but achievable. This feeling of success prompts the children to play the game again. A game-based approach to teaching incorporates reading, writing and mathematics in a fun and meaningful

Using writing materials—or even tactile items such as noodles and pipe cleaners—to make words can be effective for reading comprehension, but these “old school” methods are often being replaced with technology. Still, technology alone is not the answer. When paired with a child’s interests and learning styles to drive reading proficiency, technological solutions are an effective way to engage children. This, in turn, motivates frequency and generates positive outcomes. If we help build children’s knowledge through what they are engaged in and enjoy, we will see results.

Incorporating games into your classroom

Engaging kids using educational games in the classroom encourages them to reason and perform like problem solvers. In addition, critical thinking and strategizing skills are used to expand student-learning opportunities beyond the classroom. With a decrease in school funding, providing devices for all students continues to be very difficult. However, allowing students to BYOD or Bring Your Own Device—a constant in my elementary classrooms—provided students an engaging channel for their independent study. An e-reader had incredible impact on one of my third graders. She struggled with reading from the beginning and rarely picked up a book in class. However, once she received an e-reader during the holidays, she would read every chance she got. Her favorite reading materials were immediately accessible, and what she used to view as a daunting task seemed minimal, as she could read one screen at a time. By allowing today’s kids to use these innovative tools, their deepest interests are piqued and their needs are met.

Building digital literacy using educational games also creates a much needed, differentiated-learning environment. Educational technologies can transform a scholastic environment by making learning personalized to each student’s individual style. Incorporating educational games through all mediums as a daily routine enriches the curriculum already in place and helps the educator teach the way today’s kids want to learn.

Lindsey Hill is a two-time Elementary Teacher of the Year honoree and former teacher of 14 years. She now oversees Reading Engagement Innovation at Evanced Solutions, LLC and explores current trends in reading innovation to aid in the development of solutions that increase reading proficiencies among our youth.