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Place Value Yahtzee Game — Games 4 Gains

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Learn how to play this fun place value game and download your free Place Value Yahtzee score sheets.

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Fraction of a whole, <, > and = fractions

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Fraction of a whole, <, > and = fractions

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Multiples of.. game boards for all multiples

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Multiples of.. game boards for all multiples

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How to Play Quick Draw: Fun Math Card Game | US Math Recovery Council®

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We empower educators to advance students’ mathematical thinking and success using unique professional learning with meaningful assessment and instruction.

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Fact: Kids love playing strategy math games, and when you introduce a twist of strategy, you add a problem-solving element to the activity. As kids play a game multiple times, their strategy will evolve. A great way to add accountability to a game that's being played in a workstation is to have students write about their strategy in their Math Journal. My favorite games are those that are engaging, include a twist of strategy, and require very little in the way of prep or materials. Today I've got two strategy math games that can be played with nothing more than a blank hundred chart and a couple of colored pencils.

This post contains affiliate links, which simply means that when you use my link and purchase a product, I receive a small commission. There is no additional cost to you, and I only link to books and products that I personally recommend.

The first game is the easier of the two. Assuming the number 1 in the upper left corner of the chart, players take turns using their colored pencil to write a single number in one of the squares on the chart. In doing this, students are using the patterns on the hundred chart, which emphasize place value, to determine which number goes in a particular square. A player who gets four numbers in a row on the chart (horizontal, vertical, or diagonal) draws a line through the numbers and earns one point. Play continues. The player who has the most points at the end of the game wins. This game can be differentiated by assuming different numbers in the top left corner. For example, the "starting" number could be a 3-digit number, such as 501, or even a decimal like 0.1.

The second game is a little more difficult and focuses on choosing numbers with a difference of 21. In this game, players take turns writing in two numbers that have a difference of 21. So, for example, I might begin the game by writing in the numbers 24 and 45 (difference of 21). My opponent might follow up with 43 and 64 (also a difference of 21). The format of the hundred chart makes determining pairs of number with a difference of 21 easy to find. The game continues much like the first game I described. When a player gets four numbers in a row, they draw a line through the numbers, score a point, and play continues. This game could also be differentiated by allowing players to choose a different target difference for the game. So they could play, for example, with a difference fo 37, which would be harder than 21.

You can download a blank number chart here. If you use it in your classroom, please drop a comment below or, better yet, take some pictures and tag me in a tweet!

See you on Twitter! @MathCoachCorner

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Strategy Math Games with a Blank Hundred Chart - Math Coach's Corner

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Fact: Kids love playing strategy math games, and when you introduce a twist of strategy, you add a problem-solving element to the activity. As kids play a game multiple times, their strategy will evolve. A great way to add accountability to a game that's being played in a workstation is to have students write about their strategy in their Math Journal.

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Get access to files anywhere through secure cloud storage and file backup for your photos, videos, files and more with Google Drive.

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Learning Mathematics Through Games Series: 1. Why Games?

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This article supplies teachers with information that may be useful in better understanding the nature of games and their role in teaching and learning mathematics.

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5 Principles of educationally rich math games.pdf

5 Principles of educationally rich math games.pdf

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5 Principles of educationally rich math games.pdf

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People ask us why we play math games at a Math Learning Center. Read this article from the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics

http://www.nctm.org/publications/teaching-children-mathematics/blog/why-play-math-games_/
By Kitty Rutherford, Posted April 27, 2015 -
People of all ages love to play games that are fun and motivating. Games give students opportunities to explore fundamental number concepts, such as the counting sequence, one-to-one correspondence, and computation strategies. Engaging mathematical games can also encourage students to explore number combinations, place value, patterns, and other important mathematical concepts. Further, they afford opportunities for students to deepen their mathematical understanding and reasoning. Teachers should provide repeated opportunities for students to play games, then let the mathematical ideas emerge as students notice new patterns, relationships, and strategies. Games are an important tool for learning in elementary school mathematics classrooms:

* Playing games encourages strategic mathematical thinking as students find different strategies for solving problems and deepen their understanding of numbers.

* When played repeatedly, games support students' development of computational fluency.

* Games present opportunities for practice, often without the need for teachers to provide the problems. Teachers can then observe or assess students and work with individuals or small groups of students.

* Games have the potential to allow students to develop familiarity with the number system and with "benchmark numbers" (such as 10s, 100s, and 1000s) and engage in computation practice, building a deeper understanding of operations.

* Games support a school-to-home connection. Parents can learn about their children's mathematical thinking by playing games with them at home.
This game is on p. 65 of the downloadablePDF. Building Fluency
Fluency requires a balance and connection between conceptual understanding and computational proficiency. Computational methods that are over-practiced without understanding are forgotten or remembered incorrectly. Conceptual understanding without fluency can inhibit the problem-solving process (NCTM 2000, Principles and Standards for School Mathematics, p. 35).

Developing computational fluency is an expectation of the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics. Games provide opportunity for meaningful practice. The research about how students develop fact mastery indicates that drill techniques and timed tests do not have the power that mathematical games and other experiences have. Appropriate mathematical activities are essential building blocks to develop mathematically proficient students who demonstrate computational fluency (Van de Walle and Lovin, Teaching Student-Centered Mathematics Grades K-3, p. 94). Remember, computational fluency includes efficiency, accuracy, and flexibility with strategies (Russell 2000).

The kinds of experiences that teachers offer their students clearly play a major role in determining the extent and quality of students' learning. Students can build understanding by actively engaging in tasks and experiences designed to deepen and connect their knowledge. Procedural fluency and conceptual understanding can be developed through problem solving, reasoning, and argumentation (NCTM 2000, Principles and Standards for School Mathematics, p. 21). Meaningful practice is necessary to develop fluency with basic number combinations and strategies with multidigit numbers. Practice should be purposeful and should focus on developing thinking strategies and a knowledge of number relationships rather than on drilling isolated facts (NCTM 2000, Principles and Standards for School Mathematics, p. 87). Do not subject any student to computation drills unless the student has developed an efficient strategy for the facts included in the drill (Van de Walle and Lovin 2006, Teaching Student-Centered Mathematics Grades K-3, p. 117). Drills can strengthen strategies with which students feel comfortable-those they "own"-and will help make these strategies increasingly automatic. Therefore, strategy drills will allow students increasing efficiency, even to the point of recalling a fact without being conscious of using a strategy. Drills without an efficient strategy offer no assistance (Van de Walle and Lovin 2006, Teaching Student-Centered Mathematics Grades K-3, p. 117).

This game is on p. 5 of the downloadable PDF.
Cautions
Sometimes teachers use games solely to practice number facts. These games usually do not engage children for long because they are based on students' recall or memorization of facts. Some students are quick to memorize; others need a few moments to compute a related fact. When students are placed in situations in which recall speed determines success, they may infer that being "smart" in mathematics means getting the correct answer quickly instead of valuing the process of thinking. Consequently, students may feel incompetent when they use number patterns or related facts to arrive at a solution and may begin to dislike mathematics because they are not fast enough.
This game is on p. 67 of the downloadable PDF. Introduce a game
A good way to introduce a game to the class is for the teacher to play the game against the class. After briefly explaining the rules, ask students to make the class's next move. Teachers may also want to model their strategy by talking aloud for students to hear his or her thinking. "I placed my game marker on the six because that would give me the largest number."

Games are fun and can create a context for developing students' mathematical reasoning. Through playing and analyzing games, students also develop their computational fluency by examining strategies that are more efficient and by discussing relationships among numbers. Teachers can create opportunities for students to explore mathematical ideas by planning questions that prompt students to reflect about their reasoning and make predictions. Remember to always vary or modify the game to meet the needs of your leaners. Encourage the use of the Common Core's Standards for Mathematical Practice.
Holding Students Accountable
While playing games, have students record mathematical equations or representations of the mathematical tasks. This yields data for students and teachers to revisit to examine their mathematical understanding.

After playing a game, have students reflect on the game by asking them to discuss questions orally or write about them in a mathematics notebook or journal:

* What skill did you review and practice?

* Which strategies did you use while playing the game?

* If you were to play the games a second time, what different strategies would you use to be more successful?

* How could you tweak or modify the game to make it more challenging?

This game is on p. 42 of the downloadable PDF.

K-Grade 5 Math Games were created by North Carolina teachers and can be accessed on the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction,
under Kindergarten Instructional Resources/Games.

For students to become fluent in arithmetic computation, "they must have efficient and accurate methods that are supported by an under-standing of numbers and operations. 'Standard' algorithms for arithmetic computation are one means of achieving this fluency" (NCTM 2000, Principles and Standards for School Mathematics, p. 35).

"Overemphasizing fast fact recall at the expense of problem solving and conceptual experiences gives students a distorted idea of the nature of mathematics and of their ability to do mathematics" (Seeley 2009, Faster Isn't Smarter: Messages about Math, Teaching, and Learning in the 21st Century, p. 95).

" Fluency refers to having efficient, accurate, and generalizable methods (algorithms) for computing that are based on well-understood properties and number relationships" [emphasis mine] (NCTM 2000, Principles and Standards for School Mathematics, p. 144).

" Computational fluency refers to having efficient and accurate methods for computing. Students exhibit computational fluency when they demonstrate flexibility in the computational methods they choose, understand and can explain these methods, and produce accurate answers efficiently" [emphasis mine] (NCTM 2000, Principles and Standards for School Mathematics, p. 152).

Kitty Rutherford serves as the North Carolina Elementary Mathematics Consultant for the Department of Public Instruction in Raleigh. She is an experienced leader, collaborator, and licensed educator with a Master's Degree in Elementary Education coupled with over twenty-seven years' experience teaching elementary school students, training educators, collaborating with multiple stake-holders, and implementing effective programs. She has received such honors as the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching, NCCTM Outstanding Elementary Mathematic Teacher, Alpha Delta Kappa State Excellence in Education Award, and Teacher of the Year Finalist. She currently serves as the State Coordinator for the NC Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics Teaching and on the board of the North Carolina Council of Teachers of Mathematics.

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Why Math Games are Important | Mathnasium

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People ask us why we play math games at a Math Learning Center. Read this article from the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics http://www.nctm.org/publications/teaching-children-mathematics/blog/why-play-math-games_/ By Kitty Rutherford, Posted April 27, 2015 - People of all ages love to play games that are fun and motivating.

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Why do educators try to use games for learning, especially with math content? Is it just to make learning fun? This is an important question; we see the difference in achievement when students are engaged and participating. So making learning fun is a big part of our goal.

However, I've discovered that the best kind of game-based math learning will actually boost students'-and teachers'-ability to reason, understand underlying concepts and find solutions to complex math problems.

These are some thoughts I've collected from my 13 years of experience with game-based math learning. But this is just a jumping-off point.

The goal for educators is to continue finding and facilitating the kind of instructional activities that help students understand the concepts behind the math problems-games that motivate them to find creative solutions and take an active part in accelerating their own learning. Imagine if this could happen while they're having fun!

Here are some reasons to work toward creating transformative game-based learning opportunities:

1. Mind-Body Connection

One of the main benefits of playing math games is in the amount of retention it creates. A lot of teachers use basic forms of TPR (Total Physical Response) like moving your arms or waving hands to help with learning, but many forget that getting kids all the way up and active sparks a connection in the neurons of the brain to help with processing and retention of new information.

A game called Hop to It has been one of my favorite tools for my kids struggling with basic number sense, and it also actively challenges my advanced-level students. They have to move to the corresponding numbers related to a set question and be aware of how they physically move to get there, such as on one foot or with their left hand.

The physical connection to what the brain needs to know to make the number decision is instant and long lasting, while the laughter and discussions they have well after game time ends also create a lingering learning effect that lends to all student levels feeling equal and challenged to complete the tasks.

It's fascinating to see this same level of connection happening when my students play the ST Math digital games that I have been using to supplement my math program. These games are specifically designed to simulate the trial-and-error, cognitive learning process like the physical games we play.

2. Reaching Students At All Levels

Many of the teachers I speak with are noticing an increase in the numbers of students who need extra help, as well as a wider gap between the kids who easily understand the math concepts and those who don't.

Other educators who are noticing this disturbing trend can investigate math games as an effective strategy for closing the gap. Look for the types of games, especially in software games, that are truly personalized to each individual students' learning path. This way, students can make meaningful gains in learning, without always having to be in groups leveled by ability.

Within the ability-leveled groups, many kids simply shut down when they are repeatedly placed in the low groups; they have little desire to continue to work hard when they feel they are always behind the others in class. Generate a game environment that fosters the constant connections minus the feelings of segregation.

3. Professional Growth for Educators

Setting up a game-based learning environment does take organization and planning. It also takes the ability to step back and be able to handle the failures as well as the successes. The learning curve of teachers shouldn't stop at the doors of, "I understand and can confidently teach this content." The learning curve needs to be constant and forever developing.

Our students depend on us to continue to strive toward using the best methods for the current population of students while improving on the methods we hold in our toolboxes.

If we are going to ask our students to continue to step out of their comfort level and challenge their personal learning curves, we owe it to them to continue to do the same.

4. Developing a Love for Math

The resounding claim by my students is how much they LOVE the chance to be outside, active and learning all at the same time. It is often forgotten, in the hustle and bustle of meeting all the benchmarks, testing deadlines and chaos of the daily grind in teaching math, that it still has to be fun.

Yes, FUN! We've come back full circle to the beginning. Kids respond to learning when engaged, challenged and enjoying their tasks.

The discussions in my classroom have helped mold many changes in mathematic fun and learning and the feedback from my kids was amazing:

I love the games because even though I struggle in math, I feel like I'm just as smart as everyone else. I can learn more when we play.

I would enjoy practicing my math more if it we could play these games all the time.

Game-based learning has been an integral part of student development for years, yet we don't give it the support it deserves for the level of knowledge-growth it creates. Educators can start small and work their way up to an entire day.

Begin the process with introductory lesson starter games and work your way into a full math rotation. You'll eventually find your comfort with a full day of learning with math games.

It takes time to develop the games that work and eliminate what doesn't. Give yourself the freedom to try things, have AAR (After Action Reviews) with your students to see how they feel things went, make changes and try again. There is no failure in the attempts to generate a game-based learning environment; the only failure comes from never attempting in the first place.

Give the concept time to mature. Teachers, work together to tweak ideas and find what will work best for you! The process can get daunting, but it's also a lot of fun - trust me!
Want to know more about the ST Math games mentioned in this post?
Additional Resources

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4 Reasons to Promote Math Success through Games

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Why do educators try to use games for learning, especially with math content? Is it just to make learning fun? This is an important question; we see the difference in achievement when students are engaged and participating. So making learning fun is a big part of our goal.