Note: This article is not sponsored by the show and game nor is it a recommendation to watch or play it.Is your child a big fan of the famous series, Pokémon? From the children’s show to the game that came to Singapore in recent years, the popularity of the series remains even today. More than being a source of entertainment, there are some parallels we can draw to our kids’ lives, for example in the way they approach learning Mathematics.
Lesson 1: Keep Learning and practising
In order to rise up to the top, the protagonist, Ash, trained regularly to improve his skills. Similarly for mathematics, practice makes perfect, or at least makes students better. By attempting questions regularly, the concept becomes more familiar which strengthens understanding. Eventually, the student can gain competency in that concept, and do the same for the other tougher concepts.
Lesson 2: Believe in yourself and aim high
Despite not having many skills or experience at the start, the protagonist decided to aim for the top. This motivates him to overcome the hardships faced along the way in his journey. Similarly, setting a target for a math test is the starting step to motivate students to reach it. Taking small steps, such as doing easier questions to strengthen fundamentals, can also increase the student’s confidence in attempting the tougher problem sums.
Lesson 3: The easy way may not always be the best way
The famous villainous trio in the show would appear regularly to steal Pikachu for its special powers. To do so, they would use underhand means instead of fighting fairly, and end up losing. Similarly, cheating in tests, for example math exams, will only get students into trouble. In addition, taking the easy way out also means students do not learn anything. Although doing things “thoroughly” may seem tedious, it may bring better results in the long run. Often, the more challenging the question, the greater the feeling of accomplishment.
Lesson 4: Failure can lead to success
Many times, Ash had faced failure, especially in big tournaments where he was close to winning. However, he chose not to give up and worked on improving himself. The game also allows players to improve their strategising skills. When students first learn a new concept, they may not always be good at it, or may even struggle with older concepts. Failure allows students to reflect on how they can do things differently to improve. For example, if doing multiple school papers at one shot doesn’t seem to be working, a student could focus on clarifying doubt and revising a particular paper, before moving to the next one.
Lesson 5: Provide a helping hand
The idea of ‘friendship’ appears multiple times in the series, where Ash meets other players who help one another along the way. This makes things easier and allows them to train together to improve their skills. While students are responsible for their own work, learning often takes place around others in school or at tuition. Hence, students may get the chance to help their peers who struggle with a concept. This strengthens their own understanding and develops them holistically as a person. This is a lifelong skill which we also encourage at our centre, where we let students share their answers to the class for others who may need it.
In a nutshell, Pokémon, while being a popular children’s show, provides bite-sized learning through the experiences of Ash who strives to reach his goals. What other shows teach invaluable lessons to children? Let us know!
If you enjoyed this article, read our other articles here.
Contact us for a trial session in primary and secondary school Mathematics today.
Credits: Pokémon TV series, Pokémon GO game
Note: This article is not sponsored by the show and game nor is it a recommendation to watch or play it.