Math Education Instruction: Math Teaching Games for Elementary School

Math or mathematics is the study of quantity, structure, space and change. In the field of education, math instruction includes providing students with experiences in: problem solving, how to use technology to solve math problems, doing math at a mental level, supporting students as they learn to use interactive websites that build math knowledge and skills and to use math games to cement math learning.

It is critical to establish a foundation of math skills in the elementary school years. This foundation in math includes providing students with instruction to learn basic math facts via the process of memorization. It has been proven that students who have not memorized basic math facts flounder in upper grade math courses.

There are two ways to teach math facts, repetitive rote and drill or rote and drill within the context of games. There is little doubt that when a student receives educational instruction in basic math facts through games, they are going to be more motivated to learn. The more motivated a student is to learn the more they practice. A few math games that provide effective math instruction are below.

Math Education Instruction: Multiplication Face-Off Game

To play the math multiplication face-off, select a student to walk around the room and stop next to a student's desk. Both students stand and face the teacher. The teacher gives the students a multiplication fact to solve, such a 7 x 8, 6 x 2 etc. The first student to call out the correct answer is the winner and gets to go stand by another student to receive another multiplication fact and call out the answer.

Math Education Instruction: Addition Integer Competition

To play the math education game called Integer Competition game, you need to have 50 - 3 x 5 note cards. Write a positive or negative integer on each card. There should be 50 cards for each pair of students. Pair up evenly matched students to play the game. Evenly matched means each student is comparable in skill. Give each student 25 cards. The game begins by each student turning over two of their cards. The students are to add all four integers that have been turned over. The student who gets the correct answer first keeps all four cards. The game is played until one student has collected all of the cards. A variation of this games is simple; have students subtract the integers instead of add.

Math Education Instruction: What's the Number?

To play what's the number, you need to have 20 - 3 x 5 note cards each with a number written on it from 1 through 20. A set of these cards is made for each pair of students. To begin to play the game, give each pair of students a deck of 20 numbered cards. They lay down five cards and then turn them over. When they have the cards face up, they pick the highest number which becomes the target number. The gist of the game is for the students to see how many math expressions they can make that equals the target number. The students receive one point for every number they use in the expression. The student with the highest score wins.

The math games above are ideas for ways to support student learning in basic math facts. Using online math games is another motivating activity that promotes math development through play.

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