When We Play, We Learn!

1. When We Play, We Learn! Academic Fun for After School Success

2. Family Fun Night’s-Oldies but Goodies

3. Probability & Strategy

4. Spatial Reasoning and Ordering Concepts

5. Deductive Reasoning

6. Building Vocabulary

7. Reality Bites • An increase in Single Parent and Two Parent Income families has resulted in reducing the time families spend together doing things like having a family game night. • An increase in emphasis on academic testing performance has resulted in reducing the time classrooms spend doing things like playing games.

8. Reality Bites • The proliferation of Video Game Systems and Internet-based Social Networks has resulted in a reduction in the amount of face to face interaction time between children and with adults. • An increase in economic hardship across the state has resulted in the reduction of money from both sides of the after school program equation (parents and programs).

9. What do children need? • “Hard Skills” • Basic academic skills • “Soft Skills” • Communication Skills • Teamwork • Problem Solving Skills • Metacognition & Reflection Skills • Opportunities to actively engage in learning and see learning in a positive light. • Opportunities to socialize with other children and adults in a positive setting. • A safe place to be during after school hours.

10. What do children need? • “…children need times and places in their lives where the adult agenda is modest, if not held at bay; where the emotional temperature is low, and acceptance is generous; where learning is self-directed, experiential and structured to be enjoyable; where talents can be identified and nurtured; and where possible identities can be explored without risk of failure or ridicule.” (Halpern, 2000, p.186)

11. The Value of Play Time • Following the rules • Taking turns • Teamwork • Strategy/Decision making • Being a good winner and/or loser • Review & Practice with low stress • Fun!

12. Promising After School Programs • Strong partnerships with neighborhoods, schools and communities • Supportive relationships between staff and child participants and among participants • Rich and varied academic support • Age appropriate learning opportunities • Highly engaged students

13. Promising After School Programs • Adult facilitated activities with out imposing high level control • Recreation • Art & other enrichment opportunities • Community-based service experiences • When disruptive behavior occurred, leaders managed them calmly and constructively • Satisfied and trained staff (Vandell, Reisner, Pierce 2007)

14. Extended Learning Opportunities in After School Programs • Build meaningful relationships with adults outside their family and gain positive role models. • Engage in activities that enable them to learn new things and practice knowledge gained in school. • Engage in reflection, planning, decision-making and problem-solving. • Become attached to a group of peers who have positive aspirations.

15. Extended Learning Opportunities in After School Programs • Find a “border zone” between home and school that provides pathways to mainstream society but also respects their identity. • Transfer positive experiences in school-based program to more positive feelings about school itself. • Increase sense of themselves as learners. • Increase the involvement of family members in their lives (Parents may also increase communication with other parents and school personnel). (Miller, 2003)

16. Solutions from K-5 Kaplan

17. Game Club Strategies Lab • Leader’s Guide includes • Step by step ‘how to run a game club’ check list • Room set up diagram • Higher Order Thinking Skills Matrix • Thinking Vocabulary and definitions • Detailed ‘how to play’ instructions • Leader Scripts

18. Game Club Strategies Lab • Other Program tools included in sets: • Dry Erase Agenda Poster to add a little structure to your lab • Social Skills Poster to underscore appropriate game club behavior • Problem-Solving Poster to identify 7 specific problem-solving strategies • Reproducible Individual Game Tracking Charts

19. The Games! • Mostly individual student games, though can be played in cooperative learning groups • Address key problem solving skills such as: sequential reasoning, spatial reasoning, critical thinking, creative thinking, visual discrimination and finding multiple solutions • Enough games in each kit for up to 24 students to play simultaneously

20. The Games! • Each game has it’s own nylon game bag to make storage a breeze • Each kit contains a double sided tent card that illustrates instructions for playing and cleaning up each game • Popular logic games included like Rush Hour®, Sudoku and Square by Square®

21. Why Game Club? • Game challenge cards go from Beginner to Expert, allowing for differentiated learning • Engage all types of learners: at risk, ESL, gifted, ADD, Non-Verbal, Non-Readers, twice exceptional, etc… • Games are easy to learn and fun to play!

22. Curriculum Mastery Games • Standards Based! • Developed by Teachers! • Content leveled by topic & readability • Each set has 750 Self-Checking Review questions • Available by Grade Level and Subject • Each set accommodates up to 36 players • Interactive CD and Parent/Teacher’s Guide included

23. Classroom Jeopardy • Create your own games, use pre-program cartridges or download free games from on line! • High excitement = Highly engaged! • Encourage Team work with in a large group • Easy to use!

24. References • Critical Hours: Afterschool Programs and Educational Success Beth M. Miller PhD May 2003 • Outcomes Linked to High-Quality Afterschool Programs: Longitudinal Findings from the Study of Promising Afterschool Programs Deborah Lowe Vandell Elizabeth R. Reisner Kim M. Pierce October 2007