Early Childhood Summer Institute 2018- Ready...Set...Teach!

Math Games for Improving Number Sense and Geometry

In this session we will discuss research based math games developed for use with preschool through first grade children, targeting early math standards involving number sense and geometry. In the games children are asked to compare numerals or sets of dots and decide which is larger or add them together and to compare shapes and decide whether they have features in common or to find their locations on a map. The games are easily adjustable so children continue to enjoy playing them even as the content gets more advanced. The games are played in small collaborative groups with the goal of finishing the game as accurately and quickly as possible! Once the groups are finished, the teacher is able to easily go through the responses the groups provided to calculate the winning group. In addition, the teacher is able to notice any common errors the groups made and address those with the whole class, allowing the teacher more opportunity to adapt the instruction to the particular difficulties the children are having. Importantly, initial research suggests that these games are effective for improving children’s intuitive sense of mathematics (Dillon et al., 2017).

After attending the session, teachers will be familiar with the math games we have developed and the research supporting them. Our central goal is to provide teachers with an opportunity to discuss how they may be able to use the games in their own classrooms by: demonstrating how the games are played, providing examples of how they have been used in various classroom settings, and giving teachers the opportunity to explore the materials themselves. We will ensure we have met these objectives through group discussions and by explicitly collecting written feedback at the end of the session.