Building Focus with Mario Kart!
In this workshop, our expert Gamer Guides lead kids through fun Mario Kart activities to improve their Focus skills.
Today’s Activity: Grand Prix with Focus
Welcome to Building Skills with Mario Kart. This will be an online hour session where your child will play Mario Kart with the focus of learning thinking skills & Executive Functions they can use in their everyday life! This session will be on the building the skill Focus with a couple hints of other skills like Flexibility and Self Control.
Your child will join our Learning Works For Kids Discord at the appropriate time of your session and will team up with our trained Gamer-Guides. After introducing themselves, the Gamer-Guides and participants will hop into some Mario Kart Gameplay!
As far as the actual Gameplay goes we will start by teaming up together in a friends lobby created by the Learningworks Gamer Guides. Throughout the session we will adventure through a series of races to practice your child’s Focus skills.
After every race we will reflect on how we could have done better, and how focusing is a key to success. As well as how they can relate these skills they are using in there everyday life with examples.
Our goal is to learn a little something they can take with them into the everyday world with the mindset of having fun, working as a team and playing a game they enjoy while building life skills.
For more information about focus, visit the Focus Page at LearningWorks for Kids.
Have more Questions feel free to contact us at rrsmith@learningworksforkids.com
Workshop Schedule
To join the live session, simply select the appropriate date and time below, then click on the Join Live Session button. If this is your child’s first Mario Kart session, please make sure to view and follow our setup instructions.
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Workshop Activities
The LW4K method to using video games as teaching tools relies on strategic teaching principles and our approach of “Detect, Reflect, and Connect.” The purpose of the Detect, Reflect, and Connect steps is to mold the child into an active learner who becomes aware of, engaged in, and contemplative of what she is learning. These steps can enhance motivation and concentration. They also assist in extending learning beyond a particular game or technology and connecting it to the real world.
Detect
Detect or identify when and where they are using thinking skills in video game play.
Before we start racing the Learningworks For Kids gamer guides will make it clear that today’s session is about Focus. As we get everyone ready for the race we will stress about how focus will help them progress through the course and they must focus on the new surroundings the first lap, as well as the other racers around them.
Reflect
Reflect or consider how the thinking skills used during gameplay helps them to achieve their goals.
After a race or two we will reflect back on races and talk about how focusing on the new environment and learning from it will result in a better and faster end result. The Gamer Guides will then give then allow them to switch up their character or karts and with the previous map knowledge have them focus on their time and mistakes. Then reflect back on those areas of focus as well.
Connect
Connect or apply game-based thinking skills to real-world activities.
Throughout the session we will relate the focus your child is using in Mario Kart with tasks they must overcome on a daily basis. For example, talking about how focusing on the Mario Kart race is not too different then focusing on completing their chores, and explaining why it is important to practice this skill for tasks in their life to come.