Looking for Beta Readers – Time For Home School

My new book, The Quick Guide to Learning through Video Games, is almost ready for beta readers! I’m looking for up to 10 beta readers to help me by reading the book and giving me feedback.

Here’s what I’m looking for in beta readers:

Parent of a child in grades 4-12 (preferably homeschooled, but that’s not required; if you don’t have a child in the requested age/grade range, but you’d like to be a beta reader anyway, please let me know in the comments section of the form below and we can talk about it.)
Someone who can commit to read the book and send me feedback (either written via email, or by phone) within two weeks of receiving the PDF
Someone who is not anti-video games (It’s okay if you don’t know much about them, but if you are opposed to children playing video games, this is not the book for you.)

The book is not very long – about 18,000 words (the equivalent of a little over 100 pages). The digital copy you’ll receive will be unformatted and will change before the final version is released at the end of February. It will go through another formal editing process after the beta readers have given their comments and revisions are made.

The book is about the method I’ve discovered and use with my 12 year old son for helping him learn academic content through video games (computer games and console-based video games). We have been using the method for several years now and he has blossomed academically. Here are the chapters in the book as it is structured currently:

Introduction (What you’ll find in the book and the corresponding game guides, why I wrote the book, the difference between learning through video games and learning through teaching games, my philosophy on learning and video games)

Deciding How to Best Use Video Games (Important considerations for all families, child-led or parent-led, topics or skills)

Technology (Computer specifications, standard game consoles, handheld consoles, useful peripherals, internet access, online game portals and services)

Choosing games (Ratings and appropriateness; text-based versus graphics-based games; fun and child’s interest; computer, mobile and console games; types of games)

Online Play (Advantages and disadvantages, monitoring)

Basic Methods and Variations (Play-discuss-research-play; preview-play-research-play; to plan or not to plan; resources)

Documenting Lessons and Progress (or not)

Examples of Good Learning Games and Lesson Topics (these are game summaries; there are about 20 of them. Each includes game specs and descriptions and brief partial listings of academic topics and skills that can be taught using the game)

Generic Skills and Ideas for Most Games (problem solving skills, reading, writing, math — learning opportunities that are embedded within or can accompany most video games)

Glossary (I may ditch this chapter)

Using Supplemental Resources

“Back Matter” – A Note to Readers, About the Authors, Acknowledgements

In exchange for your help, you’ll receive a free copy of the final e-book when it is finished, prior to its official release date. The Quick Guide to Learning through Minecraft will be included with that copy; however, I’m not looking for beta readers for that book at this time. You’ll also be mentioned in the acknowledgements section of the book, unless you tell me that you’d rather remain anonymous. Most importantly, you’ll have my sincere gratitude.

The beta copy will be available sometime between Friday, January 29th and Monday, February 1st.

Are you interested? If so, please contact me as soon as possible using the form below. Thank you!

[contact-form to=’vrobbins@robbinscontent.com’ subject=’Beta reader contact’][contact-field label=’Name’ type=’name’ required=’1’/][contact-field label=’Email’ type=’email’ required=’1’/][contact-field label=’Comment’ type=’textarea’ required=’1’/][/contact-form]

Please Note: The cover shown here is not the final cover for the book.