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Action Figure Fun
Learning Basic Skills Through Toys and Play
By Beth Hering
It all comes down to the final battle. The other superheroes and villains have been knocked out. Only Batman and Joker remain. Only one will win.
Is that a scene from an action movie playing in my living room? No, it is actually my son practicing his spelling words.
Like many boys, my 7-year-old has lots (and lots) of action figures. Much of their time is spent fighting, getting tripped over or needing an arm snapped back on. But sometimes, these money-draining pieces of plastic earn their keep.
Every Monday in first grade, my son receives a list of 10 regular spelling words plus five challenge words. They are to be studied each night for a test on Friday. By Wednesday, he is usually bored of writing them out but could still use some practice. It's time for a spelling bee.
My son chooses the participants. I serve as the moderator. He spells for everyone. Trash talk between good guys and bad guys abounds. Last one standing wins. Spiderman spelled quite well last month. And so did my son.
As many educators will attest, keeping students interested is a major hurdle. In his bestselling book Boys and Girls Learn Differently (Jossey-Bass, 2002), educator and family therapist Michael Gurian notes that keeping boys engaged is especially crucial because they tend to have a lower tolerance for boredom. Girls, however, 
can also benefit from activities centered on things they enjoy. While they may not have action figures, Beanie Babies, Bratz dolls and My Little Pony collections make great substitutes.