Everyone Loves Exploring – Whether your ideal place to explore is a deep dark jungle, a long, sandy deserted beach or a marketplace in a distant, exotic land, we all have an idyllic place that we could spend hours and hours exploring and making wonderful discoveries.
Children are certainly keen explorers too, perhaps even keener than adults. Children still have a natural curiosity and an unending desire to explore and discover. So let’s look at how that natural curiosity can be used to advance math skills.
We know that children love to explore and discover so how can we harness this to help them with math. The answer is simple – let them explore and discover in math. Give them numbers to play with, let them explore patterns, let them discover properties of numbers and shapes and measurements.
Best of all, when they learn this way they also develop a real understanding of these concepts because they haven’t just been told that this is the way it is, they have discovered it for themselves.
Math games are a great way to explore in math. When children play with numbers they learn about numbers. They discover patterns. They discover properties of numbers. They discover relationships between numbers. They discover number concepts.
Best of all, when they learn this way they also develop a real understanding of these concepts because they haven’t just been told that this is the way it is, they have discovered it for themselves.
Let’s do some exploring of our own now and look at a few games we can use to explore math concepts.
Higher or Lower is a great game for exploring number order and place value.
To begin select the upper and lower number limits, e.g. between 10 and 100.
One player selects a number and records it on a piece of paper.
The other player/s guesses what they think the number might be. For each guess the first player tells if the chosen number is higher or lower. Play continues until the number is guessed. A more challenging game would be to explore larger numbers or decimal numbers. This game is always a favorite no matter what age group I am teaching. I just adjust the size of the numbers to the ability of the students.
Grab and Group is a great way to explore division. Players take turns to grab a group of items (marbles, toothpicks, counters or even pens). They then attempt to make groups of 2’s with no remainders, then 3’s, 4’s, 5’s and 6’s. Players score points for each of the groups they can make, e.g. a player who grabs 9 can only make 3’s so they score 3 points. A player who grabs 12 would score 2+3+4+6=15 points as they could make groups of 2’s, 3’s, 4’s and 6’s. This game is also easily adjusted to the abilities of the students. Younger students will manipulate the items to see if the number is divisible by the given number. Older children will simply count the items then mentally calculate what the number is divisible by.
You can also have children explore properties of numbers by posing a question for them to answer.
- How many prime numbers are there between two given numbers, e.g. 1 and 100 or 200 and 300?
- How many times do you write the digit 7 when you write all of the numbers between two given numbers, e.g. 1 and 100 or 500 and 700?
For more games to get your kids or your students exploring math you could try a number version of Hangman using a complete computation.
Tic Tac Toe can also be played in number versions, e.g. use the numbers 1-9 to fill the grid. The first player to create a line that totals 15 is the winner.
There are many other math games that are ideal for exploring in math. Playing games in math offers so much more than just a bit of fun. These games also help to develop a deep understanding of math concepts and a positive attitude towards a sometimes unpopular subject. Don’t be surprised when you even hear, ‘Gee that was fun! Can we do it again?’
By: Teresa Evans
Posts Tagged ‘Shapes’
Let’s Be Math Explorers
April 28th, 2010Math Games For Kids
March 21st, 2010
Looking for a fun and exciting way to teach math concepts to children? Increase motivation and learning in a way that is enjoyable and pleasant by using the following math games for kids.
A Book Scavenger Hunt
This is a game that teaches counting and ordinal numbers (1st, 2nd, 3rd…). The first thing to do is find a book for each child. It works well, and takes less time, for all children to use the same book title and edition, but it is not necessary. The idea is that the answer will spell out a sentence or two and the winner is the first one to decipher it. Each child will be provided with a clue sheet which will list directions for finding each word.
An example would be to say “find the 5th word of the 3rd paragraph on the 11th page after page 101.” The children would then look for this word and write it down. You can also work in math problems, such as “go to the page that is twenty-one less than eighty-four and find the 7th word in the 2nd paragraph from the end of the page.” Increase the complexity for older children and simplify for younger ones.
Picture Shapes
Math games for kids, especially the younger ones, can benefit from including pictures from books or coloring books. This game accomplishes this by using a picture that has obvious shapes in it, such as balloons for circles, doors for rectangles, etc., then seeing who can find the most shapes hidden. For older children you can include things such as octagons, cylinders, and cones.
Taking Directions
This is a great math game for a larger group of kids to play. The great thing about this game is that it shows us that math games for kids do not need to involve sitting at a table with a pencil in hand. This is played outdoors and involves putting a mat, or other flat object, in the yard and pairing the kids up. One child in each group wears a blind fold. The other child will give them directions.
The goal is for the child with the blind fold to follow the directions so that he/she ends up on the mat. The trick is that the child doing the talking can only give a set number of clues and can only use numbers for how many feet or yards, and the words forward, backward, right, or left. You can put obstacles in the way such as orange road cones or beach balls that they have to maneuver around to get to the mat. The kids giving the directions must stay stationary while giving the clues. Make sure this game is supervised by an adult who can make sure that the kids do not run into one another or trip and fall.
Board Games
Board games offer a variety of creative and interesting ways for teaching math concepts to children. There are many math games for kids that are in board game format. Some of these include Sorry, Yahtzee, and Rummikub. There are also many board games for kids that can be altered to include math skills. One example is to play Scrabble and give triple the points for each math term spelled out, as well as having the children keep a running score for every player.
Matching Math Cards
This is a twist on Old Maid where the goal is to match two cards by putting all of them face-down and turning over two cards at a time on each turn to see if they match. This game is different than Old Maid because it is centered around math concepts. You start by writing a math problem on an index card, using addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division. Then you make another math problem on the next index card that is different but has the same answer. After you have made between twelve and twenty of these cards you lay them face down. Whenever someone turns over two cards with the same answer they get to keep them. The person with the most cards at the end of the game wins.
Learning math does not need to be dull and boring. It can be fun and challenging by using the above math games for kids, where math becomes play instead of work.
By: Sarah J Holt
Glenn Doman How To Teach Your Baby To Read
November 11th, 2009 All children have an incredible natural ability to learn. Before the age of five a child can easily take in an amazing amount information. Using flash cards is the easiest way to impart a huge amount of knowledge to a young child. If the child is younger than four it will be easier and more effective, before three, it gets even easier, and before two the easiest and most effective of all. The use of flash cards to teach babies is largely attributed to Glenn Doman who popularized this method. Doman’s books are available from Amazon. And there are a lot of proof available that it actually works to make tiny children smarter. Flash cards can be used to teach a baby to read, learn mathematics and gain an encyclopedic knowledge. According to the Doman method;
- The child before five can absorb information at an amazing rate.
- The more knowledge a child absorbs before the age of five, the more he retains.
- The child before five has a large amount of energy dedicated to learning.
- The child before five has a insatiable appetite to learn.
- The child before five can learn to read and wants to learn to read.
- All little children are linguistic geniuses.
Therefore can there be, any doubt that since a child before five can learn an entire language, he can therefore learn as many languages as are presented to him? The answer is an emphatic “No!”
So At What Age Should A Parent Begin The Process Of Learning?
One year of age or younger is the ideal time to begin if you want to expend the least amount of effort in teaching your child using flash cards. You can actually begin the process of teaching your baby right from birth. Although at birth, the skill of recognizing movement and shapes is the starting point, it is actually a program of visual stimulation.
Lets stop and think for a moment. We speak to the baby at birth, this helps the auditory pathway to grow. We can also teach the baby to read and provide the language of mathematics through the eyes, this helps the visual pathway to grow. There are two vital points involved in teaching your child. Your attitude and method, as well as the size and orderliness of the teaching materials.
The Best Time To Teach
The most suitable time is when mother and baby are comfortable, both physically and emotionally. If the baby is uncomfortable, tired or hungry, the teaching process should be delayed or cancelled. Find out what is causing the baby’s discomfort and pacify him before starting.
If it is the mother who is in an irritable mood, it is also not a good time to teach. All mothers and babies have days when things don’t seem right and it is unwise to teach a child anything. It is better to take a long term approach and understand that there will be many days ahead when both mother and child are more relaxed and happy and a lesson plan can therefore go on smoothly and enjoyably. On such days, the least amount of time and effort can be spent learning, on a happy note.
The Best Duration
Lessons should be enjoyable and happy. It should be approached like a game and your cheerful voice should reflect this. However, ensure that the length of time you play the game is very short. At first it will be played three times a day, but each session will involve only a few seconds. The parent should determine the timing to end the learning session and stop before your child wants to stop.
How To Use The Flash Cards
In teaching reading, math or encyclopedic knowledge using flash cards, parents have to recognize that Children love to learn and they do it very quickly. Therefore you must show your material very quickly. We adults do almost everything too slowly for children and this is very evident in the way adults teach little children. Generally we expect a child to sit and stare at his materials, to look as if he is concentrating on them. We expect him look a bit unhappy in order to demonstrate that he is really learning. But children don’t think learning is painful, grown-ups do.
When you show your cards do so as fast as you can. You will become more and more good at it as you do it more often. Keep practicing until you feel comfortable. The materials chosen should be sturdy and carefully designed to be large and clear so that you can show them very quickly and your child will see them easily
How To Teach Reading Using Flash Cards
White hard paper or stiff cardboard is the most ideal material to use to make baby learning flash cards, when teaching a baby to read. Ordinary printing paper may be too flimsy to allow you to switch your flash cards in a fast pace. Remember, it’s all about speed. Write the words using a broad-tipped red felt pen. The letters should be about 3 to 4 inches or 7cm to 10 cm. You can group the cards according to items found in the house like Chair, Table, Fork, Spoon. Or species of animals like mammals, for instance – Lion, Tiger, Monkey or even vehicles, like Aeroplane, Car, Truck etc.
Do not be concerned if the words seem a bit tough for a tiny child to learn. Just go by faith. Use one group of words for 3 days or so, and then replace 1 word a day with another group. Keep your lessons short, maybe 10 words a session, each session 3 times a day. To flash the cards, move the card from the back (nearest to you) to the front (facing your child). As you put the card in front of your baby, say the word out loud with enthusiasm. Write the word in pencil behind the card so you don’t have to turn them to face you to know what word you are flashing to your child. As you move the card to the front to face baby, read what you have written behind the card and say “This word says Tiger”, for instance.
How To Teach Math Using Flash Cards
You must understand the numerals like 1, 2, 3 ….and so on are abstract terms for babies. To teach your child math, you must start with a quantifiable symbol like a dot. You can buy stick-on red dots from the stationery shop. Cut or purchase white index cards 11 inch by 11 inch. To teach numbers, stick 1 red circle dot for the number one, Two dots for the number 2 and so on. Write the numbers on the back of the card so that you know which dot cards you are flashing to your baby. In the same manner as reading, move the cards from the back (nearest to you) to the front (facing baby) and as you do, say “this is one”, “this is two”, etc. You can flash the cards in sequence in the beginning, from 1 to 10 for example, then 10 to 1. You can make as many dot cards as you can. Later on, you can progress to addition or subtraction problems. For instance, to teach a baby 1+2=3, you need a 1-dot card, a 2-dot card and a 3-dot flash cards. As you flash the cards in mathematical sequence, you say “One plus two equals three”.
As a teacher to your baby, you now understand the basic steps in the Reading and Math pathway. The pathway just described is the method to follow and it works. However, it may be worthwhile for you to invest in an affordable baby education software tool that will take away the chore of making cards, for reading and math. Such computer programs can even store the lesson plans, do the calculation and generate the dots on the computer screen for you. You can also give your baby encyclopedic knowledge with the picture files that comes along with it or it can also flash pictures you have taken with your digital camera. The use of technology has certainly helped parents bring out the genius in their children quickly and easily.
By: Elaine Mak
