Keeping Math Engaging

Did you know that there are a lot of commercially avaiable math games that support student learning in math?

In a recent article in Student Explorations in Mathematics primary teachers found games and puzzles helped student achievement in Math. Here are some ideas for your own classroom:

Jenga: Jenga was found to help students with spacial relations and understanding balance.

Make 7: Make 7 is a board game similiar to Connect Four but it has students using different combinations of numbers to make seven.

Sequence for Kids. : A great way for students to practice reasoning skills.

Playing Cards: Remember the game of War we all played as kids. Well this game helps students identify greater and less than. If you have them pull two cards at a time it can help with two digit greater and less than, as well as addition, subtraction and mulitplication.

Hi Ho Cherry O: This game is great for our youngest students to practice adding to 10.

Legos and Blocks: And old favorite, but using blocks to build has shown to increase students spatial reasoning. Try giving them a challenge (use 35 blocks to build a castle, or 15 blocks for a car).

Versatiles: Versatiles are self correcting supplemental program that combines the fun and skill of a puzzle with the purposeful practice of a workbook. Versatiles activities cover Number concept, Estimation, Patterns, Functions, Algebra, Geometry, Measurement, Data and Probability. For more information on versatiles, click here.