Using Games For Understanding

Games for Understanding is a concept that teaches kids by playing games. Teaching games for understanding, has four categories that can help students learn by variety of game play. These four categories are known as, Target Games, Net/Wall games, Striking/Fielding Games, and Territory Games. These categories each have their own different ways of teaching games for understanding. Games for understanding is used to have students gain the proper knowledge of skills and tactics used in different sports. These tactics are helpful for all categories and makes games for understanding a success in a Physical Education classroom.

Target Games are known as the games where you have to hit or come close to a target. These games include golf, disc golf,

curling, bocce, darts, and archery. These sports are all in this category because they all have targets that you need to hit. Physical Education teachers can use this category for many different sports and can also modify most of them to make games that will help the student’s skills. Net/Wall Games are the sports that have a net that separates opponent’s boundaries. The wall component comes into play in games such as racquetball where you have to hit the wall with the ball before someone else hits the ball. Games that are popular in this category are volleyball and tennis. Other sports that can be put into this category are pickle ball and badminton. Striking/Fielding Games include an offensive and defensive team. The objective of this category is for the offensive team to strike the ball into an open field of defenders. The sports that represent this category consist of baseball, softball, t-ball, and cricket. Next, we have Territory Games which has an objective of scoring points in a certain amount of time by invading the other opponent’s territory. These games need good offensive and defensive strategies to overcome your opponent. Games in this category can include football and rugby.
Games for understanding can be used in all levels of the Physical education spectrum. It can be used in elementary, middle, and high school. It is more likely to better off the elementary students because they don’t know many tactics or strategies just yet. If you were to start this method with younger students then they will become more useful when it comes to game situations when they’re older. This method doesn’t just have to be used in a P.E classroom. This teaching style is also good for coaches trying to improve their athlete’s weaknesses. For example, a coach of the high school baseball team could make a stealing drill involving games for understanding. You can have a pitcher, catcher and second baseman on the field and the rest of the runners behind first base taking turns stealing second base. The coach can stand right next to the runners and see what strategies they use to steal second base. A strategy that used to work for me when I was younger was looking at the back foot of a right handed pitcher and see if it lifts up or not. This drill can teach athletes the proper way to steal a base and how to get the perfect jump. Games for understanding is perfect for instructional drills or games that can be used for all sports.
Games for Understanding is also good to use in a P.E classroom because it is an all-around safe teaching style.

This is important because safety is one of the main priorities in a Physical Education classroom. It is also very important for teachers to realize that some of the students that are athletic might not like this teaching style and complain. This is okay though because for most students this will help them get a better knowledge for the sport and become more intrigued to actually participate. It is better to have everyone participate then just play games and have the athletic students take over the class. Games for Understanding is a perfect lesson for the beginning of the unit being worked on in class. For example, if you are working on volleyball, you should use this teaching method the second or third class. The first class can be used for learning the appropriate hits and form. The second class you can set up two courts and have six people on each side of the net just like a normal game. You then can play a simulated game with just throwing and catching the ball. This is so you can get the knowledge of passing the ball to your teammates. Passing is very important in volleyball, and the games for understanding method is perfect to show students how to do

so.
The Games for Understanding model is a teaching method that makes the class fun for the students. Most students want to play activities and don’t care about the actual lesson. Games for Understanding lets students play different types of games to get the point of the lesson across. This is perfect because students that don’t care about the lesson don’t usually succeed in the classroom. Grades drop due to lack of productivity or participation. This teaching style will bump up the participation rate and will make the class better overall. For example, if you want to play football one class, you can split up the class into 4 teams and have 2 games going on at a time. The trick is you don’t use an actual football. You can use a rubber chicken so everyone on the field has the same skill. Nobody can stand out and show off by using a rubber chicken. Everybody participates and its fun because you can make up strategies to have short passes and use everyone on the team. This teaching style may get boring to some students but that why you only use it once during a unit. If you use this every day, participation will be on a rise, but students might start to get annoyed with it.
Games for Understanding is a teaching style that helps students lean by playing games. These games are modified to let students get the proper back round knowledge and strategies of the real game. These games are also meant to get them for real game situations if they play a sport. Games for Understanding isn’t just for a Physical Education class, it’s also great for coaches to use for their athletes. Simulated games are always helpful when it comes to practice or a P.E class. There are 4 categories when it comes to the Games for Understanding model. These categories include, Target Games, Net/Wall Games, Territory Games, and Striking/Fielding Games. These categories all have differences but they all have Games for Understanding ties to it someway. These games will have students learn strategies and tactics to perform the correct skills. Games for Understanding is a teaching style that I would recommend to any Physical Educator or Coach that is in need to help their athletes with a certain skill. Overall, this teaching style will help students learn and will help the student stay physically active in the classroom.