What Are the Advantages of Using Games in Math?

Games make learning math interactive, fun and engaging. In today's classrooms, students no longer complete endless pages of computation problems, the way that many adults did when they were children. Those "drill and kill" methods have been replaced with games, and for good reason. Games offer many advantages for improving student learning.

Fun

Math games enable students to practice basic arithmetic facts without the tedium of traditional worksheets. In games that use die or cards, numbers are generated at random, making the practice more fun.

Higher Order Thinking

Students must use strategy to plan their moves, as well as use their knowledge of mathematics, to win the game.

Problem Solving

During the course of a game, students must respond to their opponents' moves and solve unanticipated problems that arise.

Social Skills

Playing games is a form of cooperative learning and helps prepare students for real-life situations in which they must work with others to solve problems.

Better Outcomes

The social constructivist model of learning contends that students learn better when they are interacting with others. In other words, two heads are better than one! Working together in teams, students are able to learn skills that they would not have learned on their own.

References

• "Teacher's Reference Manual, Grades 4-6;" Everyday Mathematics,The University of Chicago School Mathematics Project; 2007
• Constructivism as a Paradigm for Teaching and Learning

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