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Before we can answer the question of why games should be used in the classroom, we first need to know what a game is. An easy explanation is that a game is an activity that is done for enjoyment and has a result or end goal, usually someone winning. All students have some varying degree of competitiveness, it feels good when they win or beat a classmate, and this can be used as an advantage in the classroom. When educators incorporate games into their lesson they are bringing an element of fun into the environment. Games can be used to get students attention and to keep the student engaged while building their confidence with certain concepts. They can also be used to discreetly track your student's progress by having a score chart in the class and keeping track of how many points a student or group has accumulated. The score chart can also act as a visual motivator for students when they see the chart, they feel more motivated to complete activities and improve their skills because they want to earn more points. Be aware that there will be some students in the classroom that will not respond well to seeing a score chart in the classroom so you will need to assess the group of students before implementing a visual scoring system. There are many games that the educator can make use of to get the students to work together and use the skills that they have learned. Some games include hangman, Scrabble, memory games and other board-based games like snakes and ladders and many more. There are so many games to choose from that it is possible to use different games in each part of the lesson. In the Engage phase, you can use hangman or Simon says to get the students active and engaged. In the Study phase, you can use a timed word-search for the end part of this phase, this is a game where each student is given a word-search and they have to find as many of the new vocabulary words as they possibly can in a certain amount of time and the student that gets the most words, win! In the Activate phase, you can use role-play games, “Anyone who...” / “Anyone with...” games even miming games like Pictionary can be used to get the students using the newly learned content in a fun way. By using games in the classroom all students can be included in the activity and the content will be reinforced with a positive activity that the student enjoys doing. They will retain the information better because they have used it in a fun and exciting way. In summery games should be used in the classroom because it is a fun and enjoyable way to get the students to engage with the educator and other students in the class. Games can motivate learners to participate more in activities and it can boost the student’s self-confidence. Games bring an element of fun into the teaching environment.
