Playing games is an engaging, developmentally appropriate way to support children's mathematical learning.
Games are motivating. In kindergarten and preschool math games provide meaningful contexts for children to apply mathematical ideas and skills while reducing the fear of failure and error, since children can always play again.
One of the most powerful things we have done in our classroom to help children enjoy math is to play math games. Because playing 'memory' with dot cards is fun, kids want to do this on their own, and I have seen their fluency with number composition—the idea that four can be one and three or two and two—increase.
Kinder and preschool math games can increase children's access to mathematics. Most games have few language barriers. And children operating at different levels of thinking can play together and learn from each other.
Another benefit of math games is how they can build home/school connections when families are encouraged to play games at home. Share the fun today!
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April 4, 2013
Jennifer McCray, director of the Early Math Collaborative, provides a play-by-play narration as a pre-k teacher leads her students through a tower building exercise with blocks. McCray provides insights into the complexity and impact of…
All kinds of confusion can result when children are asked to rattle off the numbers from 1 to 10 or 20 or higher without actually counting something. In our learning labs and activities we are…