About Accretion

My name is Stefan Laxdal, and I began teaching overseas more than a decade ago. My students were inspired and motivated, but it became quickly obvious that they needed more. Language acquisition is non-linear, and we needed a way to break through the conventional hierarchical process. We played games like Apples to Apples and Scattergories, and those were great…for a while. But they needed a way to take their language skills even further. 

My students needed a way to get out of the box and move beyond basic memorization. I had given them the tiny piece of sand, but they needed a process to help them make it into something bigger, stronger and more beautiful. I needed to show them how to make a pearl. 

That’s when the idea for Accretion was born.

Testimonials

 “Accretion is an ingenious game that is entertaining and simple to play. It is fun for all ages, and fosters the development of language skills, flexibility in thinking, and the enhancement of higher level cognitive skills. Its simple design allows it to cater to children from elementary grades through high school,and to adults with a wide rage of linguistic and cognitive skills. This game would be perfect in a classroom setting. I highly recommend Accretion for all these groups.” 

– Morrie Kleinplatz, PhD of Windsor, Ontario, Canada

 “I just brought this delightful game to a group of people who had never met. We had a wonderful time! This deceptively simple activity can be great fun. But more than that, it can spark creative thinking and shake loose writer's block.” 

– Jaelline Jaffe PhD, LMFT, Sherman Oaks, CA

 “A great icebreaker. I played the game for the first time with a group of strangers—a great way to get acquainted with the creative side of other people.” 

– Bill H., Aliso Viejo, CA

 

“A totally spontaneous and fun experience in writing and word association!”

– Chris M., San Dimas, CA

 

“Came up with a story I never expected!”  

– Tracy M., San Dimas, CA

 

“We played this on Thanksgiving and we had fun.”  

– Fairy G.

Articles to Reference

"Executive Function Skills Predict Children's Success in Life and in School" (Huffington Post)

"A Key Lesson of Adulthood: The Need to Unlearn" (The Wall Street Journal)