Video Games in School: Should Parents Be Worried or Encouraged?

When Video Games Enter the Classroom

Imagine this: your ten-year-old bounces into the car after school and tells you they spent a whole hour playing a video game as part of their math lesson. Your heart skips. Is this a sign that learning has finally caught up with the times—or is education going off the rails?

If you're like many parents, especially those with children who already struggle with homework, focusing in class, or generalized school stress, you're probably torn. On one hand, video games seem like a distraction, one more barrier between your child and academic success. On the other, you’ve seen how much more engaged your child becomes when a teacher uses something interactive and fun.

So the question stands: should video games really be part of your child’s education?

Learning or Escaping? It Depends on the Game

Not all games are created equal. Some are free-form, chaotic, and even overstimulating. Others are tightly designed with learning principles baked in—games that challenge reasoning, foster collaboration, and reward persistence. The key differentiator is whether the game encourages active learning or just passive consumption.

According to this exploration of video games and active learning, children can actually retain academic content better in game-based environments because they’re making decisions, solving problems, and applying knowledge in real-time. In other words, they're not memorizing—they're doing.

As a parent of a child aged 6 to 12, especially one who finds traditional learning hard, this may be an opportunity worth considering cautiously—but open-mindedly.

When Traditional Methods Don’t Work

I recently spoke to Clara, a mother of an 8-year-old named Max who was diagnosed with mild dyslexia and often came home in tears about homework. "He'd freeze just looking at a written paragraph," she told me. "But when his teacher used a story-based game in class to explain sentence structure, it clicked. Suddenly he wanted to learn more. It wasn’t a fight anymore."

This isn’t just anecdotal. More children—especially those with learning differences—tune in more readily when learning is layered with narrative or interactivity. As discussed in this in-depth article, games that incorporate storytelling add emotional dimension to abstract concepts, turning the sterile into the memorable.

For those long car rides, for example, we’ve seen that some parents find success converting lesson notes into audio adventures. Apps like Skuli make it easy for parents to turn a written worksheet into a personalized audio story, even using the child’s name to make them the hero of the quest. It may sound minor, but framing subtraction or grammar as part of a magical journey has persuaded more than one reluctant learner to give it a try—without the usual pushback.

But What About Screen Time?

This is where the worry creeps in. You've worked hard to manage devices at home. Now school is inviting more screen time?

The key here is context. There’s a difference between an hour of aimless scrolling or shooting avatars, and structured gameplay with built-in learning objectives. Just like books can range from thoughtful literature to empty fluff, screen-based experiences range widely.

According to this guide to video games that support learning independence, certain games even promote metacognition—helping kids become more aware of how they learn, not just what they learn. When part of a well-designed curriculum and integrated thoughtfully, these tools can actually stretch your child’s cognitive muscles.

How to Talk to Your Child’s Teacher About It

If you're unsure whether video games are working for or against your child's school success, open communication with your child’s teacher is a great first step. Ask:

• What games are being used in class? Some may be directly tied to the curriculum, while others might be more about engagement or social learning.
• How are these games evaluated? Are there learning goals tied to them? Can you see your child’s progress?
• Is your child showing more motivation or comprehension after these sessions? Behavioral signs often speak louder than test scores.

Don’t be afraid to raise your concerns. But equally, it might be time to reassess what “productive learning” looks like in 2024—especially for kids who aren't thriving under traditional formats.

Finding the Right Balance at Home

If your child’s school is beginning to use more digital tools, this is also a good moment to reevaluate home routines. Instead of setting blanket screen-time limits, consider shifting the metric to screen quality.

For example, if your child struggles to recall a lesson from class, take a picture of it and transform it into a quiz they can try after dinner. Interactive tools like this make review feel less like a chore and more like a puzzle. In fact, Skuli allows this exact function—turning a snapshot of a worksheet into a 20-question quiz tailored to your child’s level.

These subtle shifts can make a world of difference, especially for learners who shut down the moment traditional homework appears.

When Play Becomes a Pathway

It’s tempting to maintain a hard line between learning and play. But for many kids, especially those falling behind or feeling anxious about school, play may be the only path that works—for now. As explored in this deep dive on play-based learning, games offer low-stakes environments where children are more willing to fail, try again, and ultimately succeed.

So, are video games in school good or bad? Much like the games themselves, the answer isn’t binary. With mindful integration, communication, and the right support tools at home, they might just help your child unlock a version of learning that finally—finally—makes sense.