I thought this was a good explanation of Dungeons and Dragons – also humorous. For some students in our middle school it has become quite popular. Some parents worry it might be too much entertainment and not enough academics for a club. Here is why I promote middle schoolers' new-found love of role-play.
1. I supervise it and include complex math, logic and word puzzles.
2. Role-play allows kids to refine appropriate responses to social situations without the higher stakes of real-world interaction with classmates.
3. Middle school students are developing their identity, and in D&D they get to try on different identities, such as leader or someone who makes mistakes or does bad things.
4. It is an incredible challenge for imagination and creativity. Players invent entire characters and determine how their characters respond to situations. It's great practice for creative writing.
5. Kids come out of their shells and engage with each other.
