A recent study suggests that a novel, child-friendly video game improves cognitive flexibility and reading ability. In addition, the study authors were able to show how an action game without the use of violence can do thisPromotes children's working memory. The new findings could pave the way for improving learning and education methods.
Learning to read and training cognitive flexibility using video games
Decoding letters into sound is a key part of learning to read, but it is not enough to master it. Reading requires several other essential mechanisms that people don't necessarily think about, such as knowing how to move their eyes around the page or using working memory to connect words into a coherent sentence. According to the study authors, video games can also improve other skills such as vision, attention use and cognitive flexibility. With this in mind, the research team developed an action game that combines mini-games to train various executive functions. The universe of this game is an alternative world in which the child, accompanied by his “Raku”, a flying creature, has to carry out various missions to save planets and advance in the game. The idea is to reproduce the components of a non-violent action game in a way that is suitable for young children.
The scientists then worked with 150 school children aged 8 to 12, who they divided into two groups. The game developed by the team was for the first group of participants, while the second group played “Scratch”. The latter is a game that teaches children to program. Both games require attention control and executive functions, but in different ways. The children then followed training with either the action video game or the control game for six weeks. The analysis found a 7-fold improvement in attention control in the children who played the action video game compared to the control group. Even more remarkable, the researchers saw significant improvement in reading. This not only affected the children's reading speed, but also their accuracy. In addition, their school grades in the respective language have improved significantly as a result.This studycould contribute to the implementation of reading and attention tests to supplement school lessons.
