Making Math Practice a Game

Math games can make practicing skills fun and educational.

By Erin Bailey

One of the more memorable things about my elementary school education was Fridays in third grade. We met with another class and played math games. The teacher would read off a math problem, and two students would race to the chalkboard to write the answer. Although I usually lost, I still loved getting a break from doing workbook pages.

How to Use Games in the Classroom

When I first started teaching, I rediscovered how much fun it can be to use games in the classroom. My students would compete for nothing but bragging rights, and I marveled at their enthusiasm for playing games that were actually just cleverly-disguised drills. Because of the random nature of each game, students can play the same ones over and over without getting bored. With the games I have suggested below, there is also no need for paper and pencil - all the calculations can be done using mental math.

Using just a few decks of cards, with the face cards removed, and several rolls of pennies, you can have your students practice their addition and subtraction facts, gain experience with algebra, and build proficiency with fractions, all with a smile on their faces. Games can be incorporated into the curriculum in a variety of ways. You can discard the day’s lesson plan in favor of having a game day or simply direct early finishers to make good use of their time.

Name My Number

The game Name My Number can help young children learn about fact families and practice algebraic thinking. The game's level of difficulty can be adjusted by having the dealer turn over more cards (for an easier game) or fewer cards (for a harder game), or asking the players to use more than one operation. Using a shuffled deck, the dealer turns over five cards. The dealer then turns up his card and says, “Name my number.” Players take turns using the five cards and a mathematical operation to name the dealer’s card. For example:

The players’ cards are: 9 10 4 3 6

The dealer’s card is: 7

Players could name the number as 3+4 or 10-3. More advanced students might name it this way: 6+4-3.

If players cannot name the number, they lose a turn. The dealer then flips over his or her next card.

Penny Grab

The Penny Grab requires students to practice algebraic reasoning and is appropriate for elementary school students. Divide students into pairs, and pass out a set of 10 pennies to each pair. When the teacher says “penny grab” each student tries to pick up as many pennies from their pile as they can in their hands until there are no more left. Each student then counts the number of pennies in his or her hand. One player will say to his partner, something like, “I have six pennies, so you must have four” (10-6=4). The level of the game can be adjusted by adding more pennies.

Order Up

Comparing fractions is very difficult for many students. The game Order Up helps students practice putting fractions in order. For this game, you will need a deck of fraction cards (fraction dominoes will work). Then you can place students in small groups, and place five cards face down in front of each player. Students draw from the pile of cards left. Each player turns over his or her cards but cannot change the order. Students take turns drawing a new card to replace one of the cards in front of them. The discarded card is set aside. The winner is the first player to have his or her five fraction cards in order from least to greatest.

Integer War

Integer War helps students develop the skills needed for working with integers. Using a deck of cards, you identify hearts and diamonds as the positive numbers, and spades and clubs as the negative ones. Working in pairs, students take turns drawing two cards from the deck and calling out the sum. The winner is the one with the higher sum. When students have mastered the basic version, have them draw three cards to increase the level of difficulty.

Children do not divide their days into work and play like adults do. Thus, they don’t tolerate anything that doesn’t seem fun for very long. Playing games can be an effective way to build mastery and develop students' mental math skills. Bring out your playful side this school year and see your students reward you with grins galore.