Bismarck, ND - A year-long study conducted by Learning Point Associates found that students who played the Stock Market Game (SMG) scored significantly higher on mathematics tests than their peers who did not play the game. Students playing SMG, a financial literacy program taught in elementary, middle and high schools, also scored significantly higher than their peers on tests measuring their financial literacy.
The Stock Market Game is coordinated by the North Dakota Securities Department and is sponsored by the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association who authorized the study.
The study found that elementary students in grades 4-6 who played the Stock Market Game scored on average above the 55th percentile on mathematics tests, while students who did not play the game scored on average above the 43rd percentile. Students in grades 7-10 who played SMG scored on average above the 54th percentile, while students not playing scored on average above the 46th percentile.
Students who played SMG also significantly outperformed their peers in their knowledge of financial concepts. In tests to monitor investor knowledge, elementary school students who played the game scored on average above the 68th percentile, compared to an average score above the 42nd percentile for those who did not play the game. Students playing the game in both middle school and high school scored on average above the 58th percentile, while their peers scored above the 42nd and 40th percentiles respectively.
Offered during the fall and spring semesters, SMG is played on the internet and is designed for classroom use as a motivational tool to increase understanding of the stock market, the costs and benefits involved in economic decision-making, the sources and use of capital, and other related economic concepts, said Diane Kambeitz, North Dakota Coordinator for the Stock Market Game with the North Dakota Securities Department.
The fall game begins October 5, 2009 (a ten-week game), so there is still time to register your teams of students. Registrations will also be accepted up to three weeks after the game begins (October 26), so go to www.stockmarketgame.org and find the register now link to start the process.
The Stock Market Game is a great vehicle for teaching everything from finance to math, to current events, to politics, to saving money, to working in cooperative groups. I would encourage all teachers in grades 4-12 to get involved with SMG, said Kambeitz.
The Stock Market Game is a free resource to North Dakota schools courtesy of the North Dakota Securities Department. It is the fastest growing classroom-based investor education program in the country. More than 700,000 students play the game annually from across the country. If you need more information on the Stock Market Game, call 1-800-297-5124 or 701-328-2910 (Bismarck local).