As an elementary mathematics specialist, I work in K-6 classrooms all the time. Time after time teachers ask the same question, “How do I help floundering students who lack basic math skills?” In every class there are a handful of students who are at risk of failure in math.
What can be done for such students? How can we help children be proficient at the basic skills.
Struggling math students typically need a great deal of practice. Math games can be an effective way to stimulate student practice.
First graders and second graders need to have the addition facts to 10 in long-term memory. When they hear 6+4, they immediately know (without counting fingers) that the answer is 10. Using fingers to count is a good, early strategy but with practice, those facts should be automatic.
Family Fact Feud is a great game for achieving that goal.
What you need:
2 players
deck of cards, face cards removed
Players sit side by side (not across from each other)
Teacher/parent decides the particular fact to practice (i.e. +1, +2, +3, etc.) Once the constant addend is determined, that card is placed between the two players. Players then divide the cards evenly between themselves. Each player turns over one card and adds that card to the constant addend in the middle. The player with the highest sum collects both cards. Players must verbalize the math sentence.
Example:
Teacher/parent decides the constant addend will be +1.
Player #1 turns over a 5, and says, “5 + 1 = 6″.
Player #2 turns over an 8 and says, “8 + 1 = 9″.
Player #2 collects both cards.
In the event of a tie (both players have the same sum), each player turns over one more card and adds this card to the 1. The player with the greatest sum takes all four cards.
When the deck is finished up, players count their cards. The player with the most cards is the winner.
Third graders and fourth graders need to have all of the multiplication facts to automaticity.
Multiplication Fact Feud is great for that.
What you need:
2 players
deck of cards, face cards removed
Teacher/parent decides the particular multiplication fact to practice (i.e. x7, x4, x8, etc.) Once the constant factor is determined, that card is placed between the two players. Players then divide the remaining cards evenly between themselves.
Each player turns over one card and multiplies that card by the constant in the middle. Players must verbalize their math sentence. The player with the highest product collects both cards.
Example:
Teacher/parent selects x5 as the constant.
Player #1 draws a 4 and says, “4 x 5 = 20″.
Player #2 draws a 7 and says “7 x 5 = 35″
Player #2 would collect both cards.
In the event of a tie (i.e. both players have the same product), each player turns over one more card and multiplies that by the constant factor. The player with the highest product wins all four cards.
When the cards are all used up, the player with the most cards wins the game.
