In working with 7 Generation Games and witnessing the growth and development of the products, specifically the bilingual games, I’ve sat back and wondered how a bilingual game would’ve helped me. But, one day I also realized it wouldn’t have just helped me, it would’ve helped my mom too.
When I was 25-years-old, I moved back home after a six-year absence. I had left for college, gotten my first job, then my second job in NYC, and then was promoted and moved to my hometown of Miami. I moved back in with my mom and remember that when I would come home from work she was always watching Family Feud. It was kinda bizarre because she watched the English version and not the Spanish version (yes, there is a Spanish version).
One day I asked my mom why she watched the show. Her response was “Por qué así aprendo muchas palabras,” (Because this way I learn a lot of words). That was such a powerful response to me. This showed me that she never stops trying to learn.
Games really do make learning easier and more fun, they make a difference. My brother credits playing video games with helping him learn how to drive. I remember playing The Oregon Trail back when computers had black screens and green font (who can forget those poor souls who died of dysentery?!), or learning how to type using Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing. Math is not my strong suit by any means, so writing about games that teach you math and history have seriously made me wonder what a difference this would’ve made in my life.
What if there was a math game I could’ve played at home to practice? If the game would’ve been bilingual my mom could’ve sat there with me and learned herself as well. She actually has a pretty good knack for math, so maybe she would’ve picked up on it and could’ve explained it to me. Plus, she would’ve learned some new words while she was at it too!
I actually asked my mom if she thought the games would’ve helped and she said they absolutely would’ve. She told me, “I play the games I find on Facebook now, so why wouldn’t I have played the games with you back then?” She also said it would’ve taken away the translation component that came with her helping us study which I mentioned in my last post.
We’ve written about why math matters. Regardless of your profession you always need math. I text my brother almost every week about a math question (he got the math genes and I got the freckles) and no matter how he tries to break it down and explain it to me I just don’t see it. My brother sees the world in numbers, I don’t. I’m even downloading our games and playing them! Who cares if I’m not 10? Going back to basics never hurts.
These games are so much more than entertainment on a screen. They can be the key to not only transform a child’s life but their whole family. Education changed my entire family. When one of us succeeds we all do. These games have proven time and time again that they help, they will not only make life better for a student, they have the potential of making things better for an entire generation.
We made the AzTech series because we have seen firsthand how better math scores open doors to better futures – futures that we believe ALL children should be able to access. We built the first truly bilingual math adventure games on the market to remove the language barrier as an obstacle in education. Help us make that a reality and support our efforts to deliver our digital resources to students.