Stock Trading Game

A Stock Trading Game On The Internet – How Your Kids Can Learn To Actually Enjoy Math, Get Better Grades, And Just Might Become The Future “Warren Buffett’s” of Tomorrow!

I recently discovered that lots of people are searching for the terms “stock trading game” and “stock market game” on the Internet. Intrigued, I did a Google search to see what I could find.

The first Google listing under “stock market game” looked very interesting. It contained a link to “The Stock Market Game Program”. I clicked on the link to see what it was all about.

The link took me to the following website:

http://www.smgww.org

The headline and basic purpose of the site is this:

“Virtual investments. REAL RESULTS.

The Stock Market Game gives students the chance to invest a hypothetical $100,000 in a real-time portfolio. They think they’re playing a game. You know they’re learning economic and financial concepts they’ll use for the rest of their lives.”

I think the premise of this site is brilliant, and should be immediately adopted in all public and private schools. I don’t know of any curriculum at the elementary (or even junior and senior high school) level whose purpose is to teach young minds how the stock market works. This site purports to do exactly that, via a fun stock trading game competition.

And it seems the “game” and competitive atmosphere has other tangible benefits as well. Check out the following success story, from the Stock Market Game website:

Real-Life Math

LaMarr Broughton, a mathematics teacher at Simon Guggenheim Elementary School in Chicago, recently participated in The SMG Program for the first time. With little background in economics or the stock market, Mr. Broughton was learning right along with his students. "Actually," he laughed, "they're learning even faster than I am."

Mr. Broughton's school initially offered The SMG Program as an extracurricular activity, open to students in grades 6 through 8. He found that SMG Program participants become more enthusiastic about math. "They see that the concepts we're practicing in math have real-life applications. Making those connections gets them more eager to learn."

He also found that developing teamwork and camaraderie among students was one of the game's most important benefits. "My sixth grade team was in first place in our region," he explained. "Once the seventh and eighth graders recovered their pride, they approached the sixth graders to share ideas and discuss strategy. This togetherness — fostered by the SMG — is beneficial both educationally and for life."

I wanted to get some more information on this program. So I clicked on the link “About SMG” from their home page.

Here’s what I found on the “About The Stock Market Game Program”:

“Now more than ever, schools are looking for ways to meet higher educational standards while working within tighter budgets. To meet this challenge, schools are seeking more effective education tools that both motivate students and support teachers in building lifelong learning skills.

One tool that meets these requirements in an innovative yet time-tested way is The Stock Market Game™ Program. Since 1977, the program has given educators a way to improve the learning experience in thousands of classrooms. Teachers have successfully used The Stock Market Game Program to enliven core academic subjects — including math, social studies, and language arts — and research has shown there's no better way to teach the importance of saving and investing.

The Stock Market Game Program offers a vast library of learning materials correlated to national voluntary educational standards in math, business education, and economics. This resource has inspired many teachers to incorporate the program into classes in creative ways — at all levels, from fourth grade to college, all across the curriculum.

The program teaches and reinforces these essential skills and concepts:

• Math, language arts, and social studies

• Critical thinking

• Decision-making

• Cooperation and communication

• Independent research

• Saving, investing, and economics

Students use real Internet research and news updates, making the simulation an even better mirror of the real marketplace. While the competitive gameplay creates student excitement, the educational experience delivers the biggest impact.”

I would highly recommend checking into The Stock Market Game for your kids, or to try to get this curriculum into your kids’ school. Who knows, your kid could become the “Warren Buffett” of the future!

Now, on to business.

The markets are trading mostly to the downside today, with traders wary of the FOMC meeting tomorrow and the possible aftermath of Bernanke’s statements concerning the next round of interest rate increases.

But here’s a stock not wary of anything at all today, except its increase in price…

Our stock for review today is NSSC – Napco Security Systems Inc.

NSSC is attempting a nice cup base breakout today on volume 419% above normal.

NSSC just might provide a “security system” for your portfolio!

And think about your kid as the future Warren Buffett (or “Warren Buffettess”) and check into The Stock Market Game Program ASAP!