Teaching The Stock Market Game

According to the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD), using academic games in the classroom is associated with a 20 percentile point gain in student achievement. Stock market games and simulations are no exception to the rule. These games teach valuable mathematics and business skills as students watch their investment. However, there’s so much more to the stock market than just economics. Students learn to research the businesses in which they’ve made an investment, to use technology in different ways, and to study the effect of culture and current events on the economy. When students work in pairs or teams, they learn to communicate and cooperate with others, much like they will have to do when they begin in the workforce.

Immersion and simulation are two effective teaching methods that have been used in language and cooking schools for generations. Students who utilize stock market games and simulations learn how trading works on Wall Street and how stocks go up and down in the economy. They do this without risking their own money, their parent’s money, or the teacher’s money.

Some of our Financial Programs:

stock market gameBenefits of the Stock Market Game

Student who engage with the stock market game receive a much better understanding of personal and global economics. They tend to earn higher scores on personal finance exams than those who do not take advantage of stock market games and simulation. There are a number of reasons for this, but a key ingredient is that many different learning styles are incorporated into the game. Children learn through seeing, hearing, touching, and doing. The game involves more of their senses, and even teachers gain more knowledge about the stock market as they guide the students through the simulation.

Students learn the language of saving and investing, which helps them in the real world as they open their own savings and checking accounts. Throughout the course of the game, the student can research at their own pace and to their own interests. The simulation allows them to explore the reasons behind the ups and downs of the stock market. Teachers can customize the game to their class, whether they want to use individual or team-based projects.

The stock market game includes interdisciplinary teaching and learning activities that extend the general lessons and let the students gain even more depth. The student create a full portfolio in an online securities trading simulation as they grow in confidence.

How the Game Works

The two most popular games for high school students are the Stock Market Game and the National Stock Market Simulation. Students are given virtual money to make purchases of stocks, mutual funds, and bonds. Teachers determine if the students will work individually or in teams. Teams are recommended because they give the students more opportunities to engage with the curriculum.

Before investing, the students will have a chance to research their purchases. This can be done online, through newspapers and television broadcasts, and for classrooms without Internet, a toll-free fax machine is used. Once students begin their portfolio, they can buy, sell, or trade anytime, seven days a week, to stay engaged with their investment.

Many high school students are not exposed to the type of information presented in these games before they get to college, and yet there are educational standards that ask that the students get this knowledge. The National Stock Market Simulation runs 10 weeks. Students make real-time bids and see their performance in real-time in their streaming portfolio.

At the end of the session, students who have the largest equity in their portfolio are given rewards. Teachers have been able to provide real stock market shares, dinner certificates, and t-shirts for the winners, and this is entirely up to the discretion and innovation of the teacher. All students are winners as they participate in the game, because they come out with an education about the stock market that can’t be bought.

 

Resources For Playing The Stock Market Game

History Of The Stock Market Resources

Other Stock Market Activities For Students & Teachers