Web-Based Math Games

Chris Lumanglas

We all know that children enjoy We all know that children enjoy playing games. playing games.

Experience tells us that games can Experience tells us that games can be very productive learning be very productive learning activities.activities.

BUT….BUT….

• What should teachers/parents say when asked What should teachers/parents say when asked to educationally justify the use of games in to educationally justify the use of games in mathematics lesson?mathematics lesson?

• Are some games better than the other?Are some games better than the other?

• What educational benefits are there to be What educational benefits are there to be gained from games?gained from games?

What is a mathematical game?Mathematical games are activities which:Mathematical games are activities which:

• involve a challenge;involve a challenge;

• are governed by a set of rules and have a are governed by a set of rules and have a clear underlying structure;clear underlying structure;

• normally have a distinct finishing point;normally have a distinct finishing point;

• have specific mathematical cognitive have specific mathematical cognitive objectives.objectives.

Benefits of Using Games

• Meaningful situations – for the application of Meaningful situations – for the application of mathematical skills are created by gamesmathematical skills are created by games

• Motivation – children freely choose to Motivation – children freely choose to participate and enjoy playing participate and enjoy playing

• Positive attitude – games provide opportunities Positive attitude – games provide opportunities for building self-concept and developing for building self-concept and developing positive attitude towards mathematics, through positive attitude towards mathematics, through reducing the fear of failure and errorreducing the fear of failure and error

• Increased learning – in comparison to more formal Increased learning – in comparison to more formal activities, greater learning can occur through activities, greater learning can occur through games due to the increased interaction between games due to the increased interaction between children, opportunities to test intuitive ideas and children, opportunities to test intuitive ideas and problem solving strategiesproblem solving strategies

• Different levels – games can allow children to Different levels – games can allow children to operate at different levels of thinking. In paying a operate at different levels of thinking. In paying a game, a child might be encountering a concept for game, a child might be encountering a concept for the first time, or maybe developing his/her the first time, or maybe developing his/her understanding of the concept, or consolidating understanding of the concept, or consolidating previously learned conceptspreviously learned concepts

• Home and school – games provide ‘hands-on’ Home and school – games provide ‘hands-on’ interactive tasks for both school and home interactive tasks for both school and home

• Independence – children can work Independence – children can work independently of the teacher. The rules of the independently of the teacher. The rules of the game and the children’s motivation usually game and the children’s motivation usually keep them on taskkeep them on task

Math Games for Kids

Math is often a subject to be feared. However, our Math is often a subject to be feared. However, our primary Math games and lessons make learning primary Math games and lessons make learning numbers fun and easy. Through animated math numbers fun and easy. Through animated math lessons, young learners are introduced to the lessons, young learners are introduced to the concepts of numbers, shapes, sizes, directions, concepts of numbers, shapes, sizes, directions, and positions. For older kids, our fun math and positions. For older kids, our fun math activities seek to develop and enhance basic activities seek to develop and enhance basic math skills. Kids can practice counting, math skills. Kids can practice counting, addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, money counting, and many more skills.money counting, and many more skills.

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No matter what game a kid plays, No matter what game a kid plays, if it's fun, they'll learn. if it's fun, they'll learn.

They'll practice the skills the They'll practice the skills the game requires. game requires.

They'll commit to memory the They'll commit to memory the information needed to win.information needed to win.

Manga High

Manga High has over a has over a dozen dozen very very attractiveattractive math games.  math games. I started playing and I started playing and couldn’t stop!  To get full couldn’t stop!  To get full versions, a teacher is versions, a teacher is supposed to sign up a supposed to sign up a “school.” It appears that “school.” It appears that signing up a home school signing up a home school is acceptable, and there is acceptable, and there is no cost. But the free is no cost. But the free game I sampled was game I sampled was pretty impressive.pretty impressive.

Academic Skills Builders

Academic Skill Builders - - On this site, the games On this site, the games are neatly organized are neatly organized along a yellow horizontal along a yellow horizontal strip: strip: Addition,Subtraction, MulAddition,Subtraction, Multiplication, Integers, Decitiplication, Integers, Decimals, Money, Fractions, Timals, Money, Fractions, Time and other non-math me and other non-math topics. The games are topics. The games are moderately engaging and moderately engaging and do a good job of focusing do a good job of focusing on the math skills being on the math skills being reviewed or taught.reviewed or taught.

Soft Schools

Soft Schools  – Get – Get straight to the learning straight to the learning with this website that is with this website that is logically divided into logically divided into grade level and content grade level and content area. Find what you are area. Find what you are looking for quickly and looking for quickly and easily, and let your easily, and let your student practice math student practice math and other subjects with and other subjects with simple games that simple games that require no real require no real instructions. Fun and instructions. Fun and Easy!Easy!

AAA Math

AAA MathAAA Math – The AAA – The AAA Math site has a Math site has a comprehensive comprehensive collection of interactive collection of interactive games that can be used games that can be used to master mathematic to master mathematic concepts. The games concepts. The games cover basic math, cover basic math, algebra, geometry, and algebra, geometry, and graphing and are well graphing and are well suited to K-8 studentssuited to K-8 students

Sheppard Software

Sheppard SoftwareSheppard Software offers offers everything from early math everything from early math to pre-algebra. The lessons to pre-algebra. The lessons include interactive activities include interactive activities to practice concepts. to practice concepts. Students can shoot fruit, Students can shoot fruit, pop balloons, and even play pop balloons, and even play math man (the math version math man (the math version of pac man!). Fractions, of pac man!). Fractions, place value, money, and place value, money, and basic operations are some basic operations are some of the areas that are of the areas that are covered.covered.

Kids Math Games Online

Kids Math Games Kids Math Games OnlineOnline - Enjoy a wide - Enjoy a wide range of free math range of free math games, interactive games, interactive learning activities and learning activities and fun educational fun educational resources that will resources that will engage students while engage students while they learn mathematics.they learn mathematics.

Extreme Maths

Extreme MathsExtreme Maths is a fun  is a fun math learning game for math learning game for higher elementary school higher elementary school grades, middle school and grades, middle school and high school age kids where high school age kids where you have to answer math you have to answer math questions as quickly as you questions as quickly as you can (before time runs out). can (before time runs out). This game requires fast-This game requires fast-thinking and quick reaction-thinking and quick reaction-speeds in order to progress, speeds in order to progress, and tests your addition, and tests your addition, subtraction, multiplication subtraction, multiplication and division skills!and division skills!

Math Game Time

Math Game TimeMath Game Time has has games for preK to seventh games for preK to seventh grade. Besides being grade. Besides being arranged by grade, games arranged by grade, games are also arranged in are also arranged in a convenient list of skills a convenient list of skills such as fractions, such as fractions, probability, multiplication, probability, multiplication, etc. The games are fairly etc. The games are fairly simple in their layout but simple in their layout but do provide an engaging do provide an engaging format for practicing what format for practicing what might be boring on a might be boring on a worksheet.worksheet.

Math Play

Math PlayMath Play – Specially  – Specially designed for middle designed for middle school students, and school students, and based on recent game based on recent game show formats, like show formats, like Jeopardy, Millionaire, Jeopardy, Millionaire, and Deal or No Deal, and Deal or No Deal, this site will help this site will help students practice math students practice math concepts like fractions, concepts like fractions, integers, place value, integers, place value, and more.and more.

CoolsMath4Kids

Coolmath4kids.comCoolmath4kids.com – – Offers a wide variety of Offers a wide variety of games, brain benders, games, brain benders, and jigsaw puzzles for and jigsaw puzzles for improving children’s improving children’s math skills. The games math skills. The games teach addition, teach addition, subtraction, long subtraction, long division, multiplication, division, multiplication, factions, and much factions, and much more. more.

CPM Homework Help

The The CPM Homework HelpCPM Homework Help is designed to assist is designed to assist students and parents to develop and maintain students and parents to develop and maintain mathematical understanding and skills for the mathematical understanding and skills for the concepts learned in the CPM math textbooks. It is concepts learned in the CPM math textbooks. It is assumed that students will attempt all homework assumed that students will attempt all homework problems. Therefore, some of the problems have problems. Therefore, some of the problems have hints, complete solutions, and answers. Other hints, complete solutions, and answers. Other problems have hints only. Still other problems refer problems have hints only. Still other problems refer back to previous similar problems. As such, back to previous similar problems. As such, homework help is designed to assist students to be homework help is designed to assist students to be able to do the problems but not necessarily do the able to do the problems but not necessarily do the problems for them.problems for them.

Thank You!

clumanglas@mitacademy.orgclumanglas@mitacademy.org