Learn Japanese to Survive: Kanji Combat helps kids practice and improve the following skills:

Working Memory: Recalling and retaining information in our minds while working. 

Learning a language is a great way to practice Working Memory skills and Kanji Combat requires the player to use this skill throughout the game. The player must be able to look at the written kanji and recall not only their meaning in English but also their on-yomi and kun-yomi readings. In order to attack the monsters you encounter, you need to “speak their true name” by identifying their pronunciation. The player needs to recall these while in the middle of combat, where they are given several options and need to choose the correct one to do damage. The combat in the game is turn-based so the player can take a moment to think about the answer but working memory skills will help make it through the battles much faster. 

Focus: Getting started and then maintaining attention and effort to tasks. 

Learning a language also takes a great amount of focus so learning Japanese while playing a game is a fun way to practice a language and focusing skills at the same time. When Hana-sensei is teaching your characters about the different kanji, the player also needs to pay attention to the stroke order of each character as well as the different readings. These will be required for battles because if the player gets the answer wrong, their team will take damage and maybe lose the battle or the game entirely. Paying attention during the lesson sections will allow the player to make it through the battles in the game much faster and will help retain knowledge about the meanings and pronunciations of the different kanji.