Can computer games actually teach? Or are they just for fun?
As a pediatrician I certainly do not endorse sitting a child in front of the computer for hours on end. Yet the computer can be used as a tool to complement learning, if the programs are well built from an educational stand-point. Kids of the 21st century are naturally attracted to computers; they will sit down and play educational games on the computer that you would fight with them to get through with pencil and paper. I recommend that parents get into the habit of trying out the computer games before they let their kids play on them. It doesn’t take long, and once you’ve tried the game personally, you can rest assured that the product is suitable. — Naomi Steiner, M.D. From a kid’s point of view, if an activity is fun, interactive and provides an interesting challenge, then no one will mind that it requires learning. If a computer game with a learning objective is compelling enough to keep your child engaged, then learning will certainly happen. Educational computer games can provi
