During the weekend reading comprehension project (May 24-25), board games took center stage in the lives of the Pécs 1 and Pécs 3 groups. The thinking of today’s children is not worse, not better than that of previous generations, but DIFFERENT. Our task as mentors and educators is to build a bridge between different types of knowledge. One excellent tool for this is the use of board games. In the changing world, new areas are becoming important, and thus the importance of problem-solving and algorithmic thinking comes to the forefront. During the project, the children were introduced to thinking and logic games they had not encountered before (Quads, Gobblet, Architecto, Quoridor, Abalone). The children, organized into small groups, delved into the unknown, where creativity, collaborative thinking, and teamwork were key. The first step for each team was to interpret the rules of the board game. This was followed by putting the written instructions into practice. Board games provide an opportunity to develop personal and social skills that are essential for becoming a successful adult. Loud laughter, good cheer, joy, and mutual attention characterized the collective learning experience.
Andrea Bálint-Orsós, mentor, Pécs Group 3