How to Teach Math With Dice Games
Children have natural math skills in varying ranges. Some children catch on easily while others struggle the whole time they're in school. An easy, cheap way of reinforcing math skills is by playing math games with dice. Dice are sold at dollar stores and most kids have extra dice lying around from old board games. Grab the dice and follow these steps for creating some fun learning math games with dice.
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Instructions
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Collect all supplies needed before beginning the game. Common items include dice, paper, a stopwatch or timer, pencils and any self-made game boards.
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Use simple games for elementary aged children who are learning addition and subtraction. One idea is that the child rolls one die and you roll the other, then have the child add the two numbers together. When this becomes easy, make a race out of it and see who can yell out the answer first. This helps the child practice speed and accuracy with math facts.
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Reinforce subtraction concepts by having the child roll one die and you roll the other. Whoever rolls the larger number gets to think up a simple subtraction problem the other person must answer. This is fun for kids because they get to quiz you, and you can increase their math skills by answering incorrectly and seeing if they catch you.
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Practice multiplication facts by rolling the dice and having the child add the two numbers together. They then think of a multiplication problem that has the same answer as the sum they just rolled. Increase speed and accuracy by setting a timer for a few minutes and seeing how many they can finish.
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Make a race out of math drills by using four dice instead of two. Each person gets a set of dice and rolls them repeatedly in front of them, writing down a math problem using the numbers rolled and filling in the answer. Set a timer for five minutes and the person who has the most problems done when the timer goes off is the winner.
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Let younger children practice beginning math skills such as greater and less, grouping, counting and sorting by using dice. Small children can roll two dice and figure out which dice has the greatest or least number on it. You can also use the dice along with sorting blocks and let the child sort, group or count the blocks based on what number they rolled.
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Tips & Warnings
Make the math games more interesting by using dice in bright, fun colors.
Only play math games when your child is happy and willing. A child who is tired or stressed with school won't enjoy the game or learn anything from it.
Resources
- Photo Credit atroszko
