Video games are here to stay. And even though the press loves sensational stories like, ‘Boy runs up £3k gaming bill on Dad’s card’, you can be assured that the vast majority of games do not lead to addictions, violence and the like.
They can have far more value than that. In fact, a study by the National Literacy Trust published in August 2020 found that video games can help to engage young people in reading, increase their empathy skills, encourage creativity through writing, support communication with friends and family and have a positive impact on their wellbeing. Who knew?
How do you find ‘good’ games?
With so many games available, how do parents know which ones are the ‘good’ ones in terms of being educational or encouraging skills development? Well, help is on hand in the form of a new searchable database that has been made available to help parents and teachers find games to support a whole range of skills. The database is a companion to the Taming Gaming book, written by Andy Robertson (author, keen gamer and a parent himself.).
First guest for #TipTopTipsEdu…
And guess what? Andy has just been interviewed by Mark Anderson to kick off the new #TipTopTipsEdu podcast series! He shares his top tips for accessing appropriate games; how to best support children with appropriate games; choosing games to support educational activities such as literacy, emotional and physical wellbeing, mental health – and more.
This series is going to be available as videos on the NetSupport YouTube channel, as well as in podcast form on NetSupport Radio, so…
Watch Mark chat to Taming Gaming’s Andy Robertson, right here.