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App review by Dana Villamagna, Common Sense Education | Updated May 2015

IF... The Emotional IQ Game

Name: IF... The Emotional IQ Game
Item: IF... The Emotional IQ Game
Rating: 4
Author: Dana Villamagna

Captivating journey cultivates kids' social and emotional skills

Learning rating

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Grades

1–7

Subjects & Skills

English Language Arts, Character & SEL, Critical Thinking

Great for

SEL, Game-Based Learning

Take a look inside

5 images

Questions are spoken, but kids must read the answer options.

Kids learn SEL strategies through their encounters on their adventure.

Vims battle using positive energy, and convert enemies to their team.

Characters model authentic emotion and thoughtful responses.

Pros: By exploring this beautiful fantasy world, kids absorb valuable SEL lessons seamlessly built into gameplay.

Cons: There's no map of Ziggurat, so some kids may have difficulty understanding where their avatar is in relation to other places.

Bottom Line: IF... promotes wise decision-making and respect for others in a fun, adventure-based game.

How Can I Teach with This Tool?

Teachers can use IF... as a single-student game or as a teacher-led classroom activity. Try using the app in conjunction with other SEL curriculum materials, or design a unit to support IF as a stand-alone curriculum tool. Teachers can find a syllabus and lesson ideas on the developer's website. Teachers may also want to recommend this app to parents; they can reinforce the app's vocabulary and lessons at home to help kids improve social skills and increase emotional intelligence in their daily activities. Teachers and parents can access the dashboard for a report on gameplay and SEL skills practiced in each chapter, as well as related questions and conversation starters.

What Is It?

Editor's Note: IF... The Emotional IQ Game has closed and is no longer available.

IF... The Emotional IQ Game is an adventure game that helps kids age 6 to 12 develop the skills that lead to emotional intelligence. Inspired by the poem "If" by Rudyard Kipling, the app leads kids on a quest that promotes self-awareness and positive social communication. Kids create their own dog avatar and travel through Ziggurat, a glittery fantasy world, fixing things in the environment and collecting "energy creatures" called Vim to cleanse them of dark energy. With the help of a wise Zen-like master, YouDog, kids think about and exercise choices related to core social and emotional learning (SEL) skills like gratitude, helpfulness, and regulation of fear. Characters use language such as "Let's find a win-win," and "This is really frustrating and scary" to help kids learn problem-solving and emotional vocabulary. As YouDog sends kids on missions, they practice skills such as teamwork, grit, and patience. Teachers can view a report on kids' gameplay and skills practiced for each chapter. This first chapter is free; all chapters thereafter require purchase.

Is It Good for Learning?

The curriculum-based lessons interwoven into gameplay on this quest-style app can help kids develop their emotions-based vocabulary, learn social decision-making, build empathy, and increase their ability to handle stressful situations by labeling feelings and discovering ways to manage stress. Learning the emotions-based vocabulary and communications skills peppered throughout the quest may help kids navigate potentially troublesome situations like bullying, test anxiety, and everyday frustrations in the real world. Especially if teachers reinforce these lessons by using the same language and promote the skills (such as deep breathing) modeled by characters on the app. If used in conjunction with additional SEL curriculum in the classroom, IF... The Emotional IQ Game can be an effective learning tool.

Learning Rating

Overall Rating

Engagement

Beautiful visuals and high-quality gameplay create a fun, engaging learning experience. Characters and dialog are hip and relatable, and kids take an active role in the game play and dialog.

Pedagogy

Wise YouDog discusses situations, feelings, and problems that kids' avatars encounters on the quest. The information presented is curriculum-based and includes communication and emotional intelligence building skills.

Support

The app guides kids through the quest with visual cues (such as blinking arrows), verbal instructions, and written information. Adding a map could help kids move through the different areas with more awareness.

Common Sense reviewer

Dana Villamagna Classroom teacher

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