English Games for Kids

Language is acquired in many ways by younger children – by paying attention to what is being said, by responding, by being exposed to language. But once kids get to school they have to get into the details. For these rules to be absorbed, a sustained effort is required and this means many rounds of practice and drills.

For this reason, English lessons often include activities and worksheets. English games, which give kids adequate practice but in a fun virtual environment, have also gained favor among educators. But can language be learnt via English games? The answer is both yes and no.

“OLPC” by Lizette Greco is licensed under CC BY 2.0

·         Grammar – Often viewed as a dull subject involving many rules, grammar is one area where online games can work magic. They not only provide simple explanations but offer practice as well. They are designed to be entertaining, which makes kids more receptive to learning and practicing the language.

·         Vocabulary – “A man with a scant vocabulary will almost certainly be a weak thinker…If you do not know the words, you can hardly know the thing.” These words by Henry Hazlitt emphasize the importance of vocabulary. Kids are like sponge and they absorb new words easily. English games to improve vocab and spelling can include puzzles, online board games and more.

“Colors Typing Game” by Peter Pumkin is licensed under CC BY 2.0

·         Reading & Comprehension – With interactive apps in the market, kids can enjoy reading with their help. A larger vocabulary also helps them in these reading activities.

·         Writing – Not all online games help kids write but we do have apps that get kids to practice handwriting and tracing letters.  There are apps that help with the writing process, story structure and building sentences. Online tools like writing prompts and blogs can be used to get kids to practice writing.

“student_ipad_school – 093” by Brad Flickinger is licensed under CC BY 2.0

·         Listening & Speaking – These are two skills that need to be built through active participation and online English games can only take you so far. Activities and offline games are the best way for kids to learn to listen and talk well.

You can make the most of the English games available to teach the basics of language like grammar, vocabulary and reading. A sound foundation in this will help kids write, talk and speak better!