Building Skills With Minecraft

Intro to Organization

Building Skills With Minecraft is a home-based program that transforms playing Minecraft into an opportunity for developing executive functions and social and emotional learning skills. This program provides kids ages 8-15 who are struggling with learning challenges (including those affected by ADHD, autism, or other learning issues) with an opportunity to play Minecraft in a moderated environment.

Our Gamer Guides (expert instructors with backgrounds in psychology and game-based learning) highlight skills such as focus, flexibility, focus, and organization that are essential to gameplay.

Playing Minecraft with our Gamer Guides is always about having fun in a safe environment, but we find ways to sprinkle in strategies that help kids connect game-based skills to real-world learning.

Getting Set Up

Before you can join the Building Skills with Minecraft Sessions you will first need to install Discord on your computer and then join our Minecraft Server. Please follow each of the steps listed below. They will show you how to get setup for the first time and help you become comfortable with using Discord so we can communicate throughout the session.

Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4

Step 1: Getting Set up for the Minecraft Session

Please follow the below instructions and watch the following video below for a detailed walkthrough of how to join our Discord server and Minecraft game in order to participate in the sessions.

Step 2: How to Join Our Discord Server

Discord is a voice communications program so we can guide you step by step in the adventures we will embark on.

To join click this link https://discord.gg/PssPVZW
Choose a name and Click “Continue”
If you have never made a Discord account before, click Register and enter an Email, Username and Password you will remember!
Once you have created your account you are going to click the + in the top left corner of your screen.
Click “Join A Server” and Paste our Link in the box: https://discord.gg/PssPVZW
This should connect you to our Voice Server! Click the Learning Works Logo on the Left side and join the Learningworks Lobby by clicking on it and you are good to go!

Get the game:

Step 3: How to Launch and Log in to Minecraft

If you do not already own Minecraft you will need to go to minecraft.net and purchase an account and click the download link!
If you already do own Minecraft you will need to launch Minecraft from your Desktop.
Once Minecraft is launched, click the “Multiplayer” button
Now click the “Add Server” button
Copy and paste this address into the “IP Address” field: server.learningworksforkids.com
For server name, enter “Learning Works for Kids”
Double click on the server to join!

Reflect Prompts:

Ask your student if there was a specific instance they can recall when obeying a compulsion, rather than thinking ahead, complicated reaching their game objectives.

Point out how different objectives within Monster Busters required varying strategies. Talk about a method you found while playing that worked for you, and ask your student to do the same.

Discuss the fact that self-awareness determines success in Monster Busters. Relate the necessity of evaluating one’s performance in the game to the need for understanding thoughts and actions in day-to-day life.

In life, it isn’t always easy to foresee the full impact of what we do or say. In Monster Busters, though it is possible to predict to an extent what certain “monster busting” might mean for your game, sometimes detonations have unexpected results. Ask student child to think about how planning ahead helps minimize negative consequences in the game as well as in real life.

Step 4: Using Discord

Please watch the video below for details on how to use the program Discord and make sure you can hear our gamer-guides.

Make it Work Activities:

Step 1

Step 1: Getting Set up for the Minecraft Session

Please follow the below instructions and watch the following video below for a detailed walkthrough of how to join our Discord server and Minecraft game in order to participate in the sessions.

Step 2

Step 2: How to Join Our Discord Server

Discord is a voice communications program so we can guide you step by step in the adventures we will embark on.

To join click this link https://discord.gg/PssPVZW
Choose a name and Click “Continue”
If you have never made a Discord account before, click Register and enter an Email, Username and Password you will remember!
Once you have created your account you are going to click the + in the top left corner of your screen.
Click “Join A Server” and Paste our Link in the box: https://discord.gg/PssPVZW
This should connect you to our Voice Server! Click the Learning Works Logo on the Left side and join the Learningworks Lobby by clicking on it and you are good to go!

Get the game:

Step 3

Step 3: How to Launch and Log in to Minecraft

If you do not already own Minecraft you will need to go to minecraft.net and purchase an account and click the download link!
If you already do own Minecraft you will need to launch Minecraft from your Desktop.
Once Minecraft is launched, click the “Multiplayer” button
Now click the “Add Server” button
Copy and paste this address into the “IP Address” field: server.learningworksforkids.com
For server name, enter “Learning Works for Kids”
Double click on the server to join!

Reflect Prompts:

Ask your student if there was a specific instance they can recall when obeying a compulsion, rather than thinking ahead, complicated reaching their game objectives.

Point out how different objectives within Monster Busters required varying strategies. Talk about a method you found while playing that worked for you, and ask your student to do the same.

Discuss the fact that self-awareness determines success in Monster Busters. Relate the necessity of evaluating one’s performance in the game to the need for understanding thoughts and actions in day-to-day life.

In life, it isn’t always easy to foresee the full impact of what we do or say. In Monster Busters, though it is possible to predict to an extent what certain “monster busting” might mean for your game, sometimes detonations have unexpected results. Ask student child to think about how planning ahead helps minimize negative consequences in the game as well as in real life.

Step 4

Step 4: Using Discord

Please watch the video below for details on how to use the program Discord and make sure you can hear our gamer-guides.

Make it Work Activities:

Info For Parents

For the first session of LearningWorkForKids’s Study Skills Workshop, our Executive Functioning Technology Coaches (EF Coaches) will be touching on the basics of Planning while having some fun and playing the game Splashy Dots with your child, our new Learning Works For Kids Explorers! We will start with the basics: What is Planning? How can it be used? What video games challenge you to use your Planning skills? How so?

Let’s learn more about Planning together!

Learningworks Planning Guide

Whiteboard Activity.

Whiteboard activities include group discussions, polls, and more!

Executive Function Tech Coaches and Explorers will discuss the Whiteboard Activity. What was your experience like? How did you use your Planning skills to complete the task? What was challenging?

In-session Game: Splashy Dots

Then it’s Game time! We’ll start off by watching a video together about the basics of how to play Splashy Dots and a bit of what they can learn from the game.

Splashy Dots Learning Works Guide

Splashy Dots Video

After the video it’s time to play! All of our Learning Works For Kids Explorers will be able to hop into their own Splashy Dots game and individually explore for about five minutes with the EF Coaches checking in to answer any questions or provide help if it is needed.

ATTN: this game has ads, you can sit through the ads or close the app, turn off your wifi and cellular data or put your device in airplane mode, and reopen the app – this usually reduces or eliminates the ads.

ATTN: There are in-app purchases. Your student does not need to purchase these. We recommend turning off access to in-app purchases for this app in your device settings.

Reflection

Explorers will be posed with questions, such as: What did you learn today? How can you translate your Planning skills to other areas of your life?

Assign homework.

See the next lesson on “Follow-up activities” to learn more about how your child can practice their Planning skills this week!

All additional lessons will follow a similar structure:

Review homework
In-session game
Whiteboard activity
In-session app
Reflection
Assign homework

Game Downloads:

Splashy Dots Mac/IOS Download

Splashy Dots Android Download

Follow-up Activities

With your child, choose one of the following games below. Try to play the game a few times for 20 minutes a day or however fits with your child’s gaming schedule..

1. Clash of Clans