Nell K. Duke speaks with Tech & Learning about the potential benefits of playing word games in the classroom
Duke says Wordle has been a good reminder for educators about how spelling and playing with words can be fun.
“Sometimes, people have this feeling that phonics and spelling instruction has to be boring, or people avoid it because they're afraid that children won't like it,” Nell K. Duke, professor of Literacy, Language, and Culture, tells Tech & Learning. “But well-done phonics and spelling instruction can be highly engaging.”
A benefit of Wordle, says Duke, is that it challenges one’s personal best, rather than inciting competition between players, which could be frustrating for some students. When it comes to the classroom, she recommends incorporating games that have been researched and shown to be effective in teaching children. Duke sits on the advisory board for PBSkids.org and says that site can be a good place to start. “The PBSkids.org games are developed in consultation with researchers and they are generally well-aligned with things we know about supporting children's development.”
