I’ve mentioned a lot over the last several posts (really this whole math games series) that math games should be played certain ways to make their use effective. We don’t want classrooms where student are “having fun” but aren’t learning or internalizing much. There’s purpose to this play and today we’re addressing how to play these games effectively.
Tip 1 – Choose the right games.
I wrote a whole post on this that you can read here. The short and sweet version is that games need to be chosen to practice the right skill, students should be at the right level of independent practice, and there needs to be the right amount of time.
Those are listed in order of importance. You have to target the right skill, not just put games out there because they’re games and you want to say you play fun math games in your elementary classroom. Also, students should be at an independent level of practice but do not need to have mastered a skill. And finally, never underestimate how long it takes a group of kids to set up and clean up a game. 😂
Tip 2 – Introduce directions thoroughly.
This is a “duh!” kind of statement, but trust me, teachers often miss the mark. If you show and name a game, and tell kids how to play, and give them the game, frustration will ensue. So here are some key points to make sure you include in your instructional sequence:
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Introduce the game, tell how to play, and then play against the students. The whole class vs. you is best, but you can also do you and 1 student or group (while everyone watches) if that’s more appropriate for the game. This way you can address issues that come up with directions and prevent fights when those happens with the kids. When I played Street Alley’s and Integers with my 4th grade math students, I would take a turn, group 1 agreed on a turn to take. I would take a turn, group 2 agreed on how to play their turn, etc… until a game or two was over. Bonus- When you play against students, EVERYONE will pay attention. That kid that tunes out when you give instructions, they’ll be totally tuned into watching you play (and hoping they beat you). 😂
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Play as many times against the class as it takes until you feel like most of the kids have it. This takes extra time in the beginning, but trust me, it will save you and your students frustration and speed up the learning curve for them. A lot of questions will be answered and clarification will occur for those students who need to actually go through it to understand how to play…which is likely more than half the class.
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Remind students of “rules of engagement”. That’s my term for “If you want to stay engaged with playing the fun math games, then you have to act this way.” Make it clear that they are to be calm, stay on task and not use game time as social time, and treat the materials the way they are meant to be used and not any other creative way (such as dice flying or magic card tricks)…and make sure they understand the consequences. In fact, if it’s the beginning of the year and I’m still training students in the their expected behavior, I always have a back up and very boring plan available. Such as, “If you can’t handle playing the game for practice, then I’ll send you to your desk and you can do the problems in the book that I have listed on the board.” And of course those problems would practice the same skill and are expected to be turned in at about the same time play time is over. It only takes one or two times of following through on this right away before everyone starts to stay focused on the game. Again, this alternative should be stated up front. It’ll take less effort for you to follow through consistently and will let students know the consequences are real if you have this planned out before hand.
Tip 3 – Make fun math games available for students to play on rainy days, and when they’re done early (with the caveat that they have to play only with someone else who is done and play quietly so they aren’t disturbing those still working).
Never feel guilty about taking the games from students who aren’t engaging properly with them. It’s pointless to play them if they aren’t getting the benefit – which is learning.
When I make math games available for playing after work is finished early, I usually have a list on the board of which ones they’re allowed to play. Those usually include the last several skills or one I think they need to review before district or state assessments. This way they get choices, but I control the effectiveness. However, for rainy days I allow free choice from the math games center (organized in the cart below) that I talked about in this post. It’s up to you, but that’s what I do.
Tip 4 – After playing a game the first day, have students reflect on the game by asking them to discuss questions orally or write about them in a mathematics notebook or journal.
I usually ask them things like:
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What skill did you review and practice? (I want them to tell their parents they are practicing adding and subtracting negative numbers as well as playing math games).
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Which strategies did you use while playing the game? Discussing this orally helps the slower students sharpen their strategies for next time. This is often also addressed when you play against the students.
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If you were to play the game a second time, what different strategies would you use to be more successful? Again, helps struggling students.
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How could you tweak or modify the game to make it more challenging? Sometimes I end up incorporating their suggestions for my higher students. They can have some cool ideas!
Again, this is just a first day thing. I don’t go through this discussion every time they play. It’s part of making sure instruction were clear and students can start moving beyond remembering rules and into use of strategy.
Put them in centers or on a rotation only after everyone knows how to play them and has played them at least twice when you’re available to trouble shoot and problem solve. From then on it should be easily an independent activity on auto pilot.
Part of the reason games work so well with students is that they have rules and structure. And teachers know how important structure is for students! Games provide clear parameters which help students narrow focus, get along, and feel sure about their achievement.
Tip 5- Individual vs. Group – When to play each type
I consider things like mystery math pictures or math riddle pages as part of the games and activities category. They are usually done individually, but can be done on their own pages but in partners for support. These really are like mini games made for one person. They’re more engaging, usually require some other skill while completing, and give students an opportunity to practice skills when there might be no one else to play with.
Having individual math games and puzzles also helps you differentiate for students. A teacher can easily use a set of copies of individual sheets that are organized into folders going from easiest to hardest. From that point you can require each student to work from beginning to end or start higher students at a higher level folder and work forward from there.
Individual math activities are also usually better choices when you have a substitute. They’re quieter and the sub won’t have to deal with students aggravating each other as might happen during group or partner games.
Let me know in the comments what your favorite elementary math game is for the classroom!
Find elementary math games in my Teachers Pay Teachers store!
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