Some kinds of rule changes are fine
In some cases it is fine to change the rules. For example, imagine you want to give learners a game where the winner is the first person to get four in a row, but time is running short. Since you want them to have a chance to complete their game, you say “Today we’ll make the winner the first person to get three in a row instead of four.”
This type of rule change doesn’t have much effect on learning. It just makes the game end sooner. Players might need to review the game some other day, but today they can still learn and experience the reward of winning.
Sometimes the answer is “No”
Sometimes you do have to say no. For example, if a learner asks “Can we pass?” the answer is definitely “No.”
When children don’t want to “say” something
Children often want to skip parts of the rules where they are supposed to “say” something. It is easy to understand why they feel this way. There are only a few games where the “say” step is essential to learning. In most of the games with a “say” step, it is there so that a helper can easily assess whether they are using the concept correctly, and so that each learner can hear the other learner’s examples. Children can sense that the “say” step is usually not essential, so they naturally prefer to skip it. The decision is up to you.
If you allow them to skip a “say” step, there is a chance that they might make undetected errors. But they will have more intrinsic motivation to play, which is also important.
One reasonable approach is to ask individual learners to use a “say” step when you feel they need it, and allow those individuals to skip it at other times.
Next section: Do we have to play every game in order?
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August 18, 2020