Games

Some games can assist in developing essential math skills such as spatial recognition, sequencing, pattern identification, logical deduction, visual memory, and number facts. These games help build a strong mathematical foundation, which is further reinforced in the classroom. Most of the items on the list are commercial games that are both motivational and educational. With parent involvement, these games offer an excellent way for your child to communicate concepts and sharpen thinking skills. They also provide opportunities for discussion and questions, encouraging your child to evaluate answers, draw conclusions, and strengthen reasoning abilities. Games are a low-stress way to engage your child in math while developing necessary skills. Something as simple as playing cribbage daily can improve your child's number sense, addition skills, and number recognition. We hope you find time to use some of these suggestions and enjoy playing them.

GAMES

The following list of games, excerpted from Games and Their Uses in Mathematics Learning (Sharma, 2008), can help your child sharpen thinking skills, make inferences, draw conclusions, evaluate answers, and strengthen reasoning. Beside each title are the skills and concepts which are reinforced.

• Simon or Mini Wizard (sequencing, following multi-step directions, visual and auditory memory)

• Battleship (spatial orientation, visualization, visual memory)

• Cribbage (number relationships, patterns, visual clusters)

• Quarto (spatial orientation/space organization, patterns, classification)

• Concentration (visualization, pattern recognition, visual memory)

• Chinese Checkers (patterns, spatial orientation/space organization)

• Pachisi (sequencing, patterns, number relationships)

• Checkers (sequencing, patterns, spatial orientation/space organization)

• Othello (pattern recognition, spatial orientation, visual clustering, focus on more than one aspect, variable or concept of time)

• Score Four or Connect Four (pattern recognition, spatial orientation, visual clustering, geometric patterns)

• Qubic (pattern recognition, spatial orientation, visualization, geometrical patterns)

• Pyraos (spatial orientation/space organization)

• Krypto (number sense, basic arithmetical facts)

• Go Muko (pattern recognition, spatial organization)

• Kalah or Mankalah (sequencing, counting, estimation, visual clustering)

• Master Mind (sequencing, logical deduction, pattern recognition)

• Four Sight (spatial orientation, pattern recognition, logical deduction)

• Black-Box (logical deduction)

• Reckon (number facts, estimation, basic operations)

• Card Games (visual clustering, pattern recognition, number facts)

• Dominos (visual clustering, pattern recognition, number facts)

• Hex (pattern recognition)

• British Squares (pattern recognition)

• Stratego (spatial recognition, logical deduction, graphing)

• Number Safari (number facts, a paper/pencil game)

• Pinball Wizard (number facts, a paper/pencil game)

• Number War Games (visual clustering, arithmetic facts, mathematics concepts)