Differentiation and Play

Related IEP Accommodations

When integrating aspects of games and play, as the Special Educator, you want to keep in mind what interventions and strategies work best for your students, especially when considering their IEP accommodations.

Below are a few examples of how accommodations can be translated to game-based instruction.

Keep in mind that there are plenty more accommodations that exist and need to be considered, but this is just something to get you started:

IEP Accommodations

Strategic Pairing
Extended Time
Special Lighting or Acoustics
Note-taking Supports
Assigning student roles
Breaks as Needed

"Play" in Action

Cooperative Team Building Activity
Unlimited Time in Games
Use of visual aesthetics and sound effects
Color coded notes and imagery
Designing roles within a team
Hit Pause!

Differentiation amongst Students

We've all heard the word "differentiation" a million times. We know what it means, but how can that be translated to instruction that utilizes interactive mediums?

(Hint: it's more straightforward than you think!)

Right away, games ARE differentiated! Choosing your level of difficulty is differentiation. Having choice in characters and what they offer is another form. A great game is all about player choice and reinforcing their experience. A classroom should provide the same.

While games and technology are there to provide additional support, they are only ever supplemental resources.

YOU are primary. You teach and differentiate with or without technology.

Avoiding Overstimulation and Distractions

Avoiding over-stimulation: While incorporating elements of play within the classroom, as well as utilizing interactive games themselves, provides students with constant feedback and stimulation, a key observation to look out for is over-stimulation, especially for students on the Autism spectrum.

When introducing a new activity or lesson that utilizes game elements like sound and visuals, it is always essential to be observant of student feedback, both physical and emotional, to ensure they feel comfortable or safe within their environment.

With the incorporation of entertainment within education, disruptions within the classroom become a major possibility. Without proper management and structure, these disruptions can become incredibly bothersome!

While it is important to always have your eyes and ears on students, this can also be an opportunity to build on those self-monitoring skills! Encourage students to play responsibly (or fear the consequences of removing games entirely). After all, with greater power comes greater responsibility...

At the end of the day, you know your kids the best and can make decisions on what is best for them!

Positive Behavior Supports

Many schools now are adopting a Positive Behavior Intervention and Support system, or PBIS, in order to reinforce student behaviors and expectations within the classroom. Rather than inflict punishment as a consequence for negative behaviors, PBIS places emphasis on prevention of certain behaviors through positive reinforcement. Reinforcing positive behavior is often paired with explicit instruction, where teachers utilize best teaching methods such as outlining objectives and identifying clear expectations through a calm and firm tone.

PBIS serves as reaffirmations and reminders of rules and expectations, similar to that of a game, where objectives and mechanics serve the same purpose. By including gamification within the classroom environment and curriculum, it also reinforces the use of PBIS.

One example of implementing PBIS through game-based learning involves outlining expectations through when-then statements. When-then statements serve as the parameters for expected behaviors: When you are able to __, then we can ___.

The wording of such a statement places emphasis on the hopeful, positive outcome. For example, instead of "We are going to stop playing if you continue this type of behavior", saying "When you are able to calm down, then we can continue with our game" reinforces a positive outcome with the readjustment of behavior, whereas the first statement negatively reinforces the unpreferred outcome. While both statements relay the same message, the perspectives of each differ, and when considering the tone of a message, students are more receptive to a positive reminder than a consequential one.

These statements are not only best utilized with solidifying academic expectations but behavioral ones as well, which can be useful when encountering negative behaviors from students stemming from frustration during play. It can be a useful statement to utilize if needed to pause a game if a student or few do not adhere to the rules and expectations set forth.

Saying "We will stop this game if..." is not conducive to a calm, learning environment and can be negatively reciprocated by students, especially those with documented behavioral issues and those with Behavior Intervention Plans.

Student Testimonials

Hello, world!

This is Ms. Aylin. Speaking as an Education Specialist currently teaching Math Resource at a high school, I've had my experiences with integrating various games and elements of play within my classes over the years.

I've taken some data from my students through online surveys to get their insight and thoughts on how a gamified curriculum would change their educational experience: