The Game that Could Save Math in America

 
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It is a bit of a dramatic title, but I actually think it is true. At least, partially.  So what is it?  The Tiny Polka Dot Game, by Math For Love.  It’s a simple little game, with different arrangements of dots on cards.  You can play Memory, Go Fish, Make 5, Make 10, and so much more.  Some of the dots are random, some are in a ten frame, and some are mirror images, with half being green and the other half being blue. 

So how can such a simple game save children of today from a life of drudgery in mathematics?  By giving them good number sense in a playful and fun way.

What is number sense?

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Number sense is the ability to sense or almost feel what a number is, what it’s made of, what it can be broken down into, what it can do.  According to the authors of Student Centered Mathematics, it is the number one indication of how successful a child will be in their math education.  When you have good number sense, and are so familiar with a number, then you can be flexible with numbers, you can understand what they can do, and math becomes enjoyable. 

Take, for instance, the number six.  When you see it on the dot cards in this game, it may come as three blue dots in a triangle, and three green dots in a mirror image of that triangle.  You may see it as five and one in a 10 frame, or two rows of three dots each, or four random dots in a corner across from two random dots in the opposite corner.  As you see these arrangements, and count them over and over again, you start to get a feel for what that number really is.  It is six, it is even, each dot has a buddy, no one is left out.  It is three and three, it is four and two, it is five and one.  So when you are older and you have to add 47 and six, you are flexible with your numbers and can move three over from the six, make 50, and you have three left.  It almost becomes effortless! And the wonder of numbers and what they can do is also awakened. 

Verses the standard algorithm:

47 + 6 = 53

7 + 6 is 13, carry the 1 (which is really a 10) and you get 53.  

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That is why I love this game, it helps lay a strong foundation for number sense.  I have been playing it with my 5 year old, and he can just see, “Oh, 3 and 3, that is 6.  2 and 3, that is 5.”  He won’t need to drill flash cards, he can just visualize these dots, these quantities in his mind from seeing and counting them so much, and he will just know them. He will have a concrete relationship with these numbers, as opposed to an abstract relationship where you just memorize facts.

After playing the game for sometime, and letting them count all the dots, your children will start to work more efficiently, and be able to see the patterns and not need to count..  After giving your child plenty of time to keep counting over and over again, because that is building that number sense, it is okay to give a little nudge.  Say, for instance, they keep counting the 10 frame that has a 5 and a 1 in it.  You can say, how much is it when the 10 frame is full on the top row.  The answer is 5, and what is one more than 5, or what comes after 5, then they will start to see 6 like that, but only do this, after they have pointed and counted many times.  They also might just figure it out on their own.  

Learn better while having fun

The other great thing about this game is it’s fun, which enhances learning.  The brain can’t take in information and grow when under stress.  Stress hormones are released in that state and when those hormones are circulating, your body is only thinking of one thing, “how am I going to survive?”  We are wired that way, so make it a point to have a peaceful, fun atmosphere for your children to learn.  

More Math Resources

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The Let’s Play Math books by Denise Gaskin have some great math games that help with number sense and visualization, not just rote memorization.  And they are simple and do not need lots of materials, which I like.  We also like to play Sumoku.  

You can get Tiny Polka Dot game and Sumoku from Rainbow Resource.  I love this company.  They have a great selection of curriculum and games, and are usually better priced than Amazon.

If you play any of these games, let me know what you think.  And don’t forget to play math games with your older students as well. 

So, keep it simple, keep it fun!

***I wholeheartedly believe in these products, and am just sharing them to bless you on your journey.  I did not receive any of these products for free from any of these companies, nor do I get any incentives for endorsing them.