Math Games For Teachers

There are lots of great math games for teachers to liven up their math classes and not to mention, develop interest for math in students! Since everyone enjoys playing games, learning math becomes more user friendly and for those who fear it, a lot less frightening!

Students enjoy the immediacy of knowing that they got a right answer during the game. Likewise, parents can be encouraged to play games with their children at home and share in the math learning process after they are given the necessary instructions from the student or teacher

Math games are a valuable aid to teachers in the classroom to:

introduce new skills
drill new and old skills
review already learned skills
evaluate students' understanding of fundamental math concepts

They can supplement the regular instruction time or be used independently by students at learning centers or in small groups.

Many common games can be adjusted to complement a math curriculum. A few of these include: Bingo, Dominoes, Concentration or Matching, Jeopardy, and Tic-Tac-Toe. Also, consider popular board games like Candyland, Monopoly or Monopoly, Jr. as math games for teachers to help students gain a better understanding and retention of math skills.

A math game that can be used in the classroom to teach patterns is one where students have to duplicate the math patterns represented on the board. The teacher or leader uses different colored magnetic tiles to demonstrate a pattern. Students use tiles, beads or counting bears at their desks to mimic the teacher's pattern. Solicit volunteers to come up to the board and create patterns to continue the game.

Another fun game which can be used to practice money skills in the classroom is the Shopping Game. Begin by creating a mock store in the class with actual items or pictures taken from magazines of favorite things. Assign a price to each item and have volunteers come to "shop" in the store and purchase a few things. Have students work in groups to estimate the cost of the purchase and then find the actual price of items. For more advanced students, you could require them to calculate the tax as well.

Let's say you wanted to teach a group of students how to subtract numbers without regrouping. You could introduce the abstract concept of subtraction by playing a game where the students could concretely see that you start with a larger number and take away a smaller number to finally arrive at your answer. After the students are capable of subtracting, you could use games instead of flashcards to drill and review these facts. Finally, you could utilize games to assess their overall speed and ability to complete subtraction problems prior to moving on to the multiplication lesson.

Because of the fun and lively cooperation (or friendly competition) that occurs during play, students will often ask to play games. They are a legitimate alternative to the customary worksheets and rote memorization of facts that have long been in use by the teacher. They can lead into or follow many math lessons just as you would use other learning aids or manipulatives. Also, students can be encouraged to share these games with their families and encourage parental involvement. So, use these games and others like them to motivate your students and allow them to enjoy math in your classroom.