Cool Math Games For Kids Article
Making Reviewing Math Fun and Exciting

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Article Summary: Inspire your students to review math based concepts with cool math games for kids. Using games that are properly taught and understood by the group of students you plan on allowing to play the game, you can really help solidify the knowledge and help ensure retention.
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Cool Math Games for Kids Can Motivate and Inspire Greatness
by Gregory L. Gomez

 
From a teacher's perspective, it can be a bit overwhelming to incorporate games during math instructional time. With the number of students in each classroom, a variety of achievement levels, and classroom management to deal with, no wonder most teachers resort to whole group instruction in order to get the majority of mathematics lessons across.
 
Granted this method has been used for hundreds of years, and for the most part has worked for the majority of the students, however times are different these days and if you want to better the likelihood of getting your students engaged in a math concept, developing cool math games for kids can truly motivate them to be successful.
 

What Are Cool Math Games For Kids?


Kids love to play games. With all the electronic gadgets out there, children these days can literally have a game with them no matter where they are: in the car, front porch, bathroom, dinner table, even when at the beach on a hot summer day. Kids are so used to being able to access games these days it's no wonder why some may be uninspired to do a math handout in a classroom environment. That is where we as teachers need to try and find a way to break the monotonous routine of paper and pencil activities in order to bring some life into an otherwise unmotivated classroom.
 
There are definitely some cool math games for kids in teacher supply stores such as Lakeshore and Scholastic where you will be able to find quite a number that can provide a cumulative review of concepts covered throughout your grade level. Additionally you can find cool math games for kids that focus on just one particular standard so students can get a different opportunity to truly internalize the material.
 
For instance, maybe you've been working on adding and subtracting fractions for a couple weeks and for the most part your students understand the concept and how to solve various problems. This can be an opportune time to give the students the chance to either pair up or work in small teams and experience a fraction game like Action Fraction or Fraction Action Snap.
 
If you can't get your hands on one of these cool math games for kids, you can simply make your own! There are even directions online detailing how you can make your own board game in under an hour. This may even be the best idea since you will be able to design not only the goals and objectives but also the actual math problems the students have to solve in order to complete the game.
 
What is critical for you as the teacher to make sure to cover are the rules and procedures for each and every single game you have the students play. It's imperative that the students understand how to play the game, and more importantly how to do so in an appropriate manner. This time you provide for your students to play math games is not time for chaos to erupt and drive you nuts. If that happens, you will definitely not enjoy math game time in your classroom and probably not ever do it again.
 
Therefore, take time to structure every little aspect out for the students so there will be no confusion with what they are to do. Be detailed about everything, even down to how and where they get the games and supplies, where they set it all up, the objective of the game (how to win), how they are to keep score, and of course how they are to clean up and put everything back in order.
 
You may even find it helpful to preteach this process to a few responsible "leaders" who can act as team captains to observe the game in progress and help ensure the students they are monitoring understand how to play the game. If you use this approach, make sure you start out with leaders who are proficient with the math concept or standard you are focusing on. Also, make sure you teach these leaders who they are supposed to help, how they should guide the game along, and how to handle any issues that may arise.
 
Having leaders help monitor groups can free you up and allow you to circulate throughout the room to check for comprehension and fluidity.
 
Hopefully this article has helped you see the advantage using cool math games in your classroom. If implemented properly, you will be providing your students with a fun and engaging way to review key math concepts and standards.

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Gregory L. Gomez, M. Ed, has been teaching 5th grade in the Los Angeles Unified School District for 16 years. He created 10Quickies.com to help teachers and parents provide children in grades 2-5 with a fun and inspirational way to review math standards and concepts. Get valuable teaching strategies along with 4 FREE math worksheets to download just for stopping by.
 
 
 
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We hope you found this article informative and that you'll be able to take some of the ideas and incorporate them into your classroom. We invite you to take a moment to download four FREE math review worksheets that students have found to be fun and exciting. These aren't the typical worksheets that you've seen before, so don't be surprised if you find your students begging for more 10 QUICKIES!
 
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