Manipulatives & Math Games

Yesterday was my "Teaching Elementary School Mathematics" class.  This class focuses on methods to help students bridge the gap between concrete knowledge and abstract concepts.  During the first portion of class, we used commercial manipulatives (tools to illustrate problem solving, like base ten blocks) to solve word problems involving fractions.  I really enjoyed the hands on opportunity this lesson offered.  Being able to see instructional objects put to use creates more meaning than simply hearing about a particular teaching method.  That is one of the many things about my program that I am grateful for; the classes strive to give us experience before we enter the field as professionals.

We spent the second portion of class learning about, and playing with, math games.  Math games help build fluency with concepts by offering non-threatening situations.  Games that combine a cognitive challenge with an element of luck will produce high student engagement.  After our lesson, we were able to experience a few math games first  hand, and connect them to specific state learning standards.  Most games took a fair deal of strategic planning or numeration calculations, and all were very entertaining. 

An assignment for this class is to produce a math game, and share it with the class.  This activity helped cement my concept of what a math game is, and why they are used.  I am still working on refining my game, but it will revolve around a subtraction Performance Expectation for kindergarten.