Motivating Math Games

Motivating kids at the end of the year can be a challenge, especially if you're still expected to teach skills and review academic content. Whole group instruction is particularly challenging this time of year because it's so difficult to get kids to sit quietly and focus on the lesson when everyone (including you!) is hanging on until summer break!

As a former 4th and 5th grade teacher, I've been there, and I found that the best way to keep kids engaged during the last few weeks was by using math games. I love using games because they are so versatile; you can use them in math centers, cooperative learning teams, or small guided math groups. Math games give kids a chance to talk and move, but it's productive talk and movement, so playing math games is the perfect way to wrap up the school year.

Where to Find Math Games
Whether your school is still in session or you are already on summer break, this is a great time to build up your collection of math games. You can make your own, of course, but they are quite time-consuming to create. I know, because I created loads of math games for my students while I was teaching. I continued to make new math games after I left the classroom, and I've spent considerable time updating my older ones.

I love making math games, but if that's not the way you care to spend YOUR weekends, consider purchasing them from TpT.

Math Games Mega Bundle
If you're an upper elementary teacher, check out my Math Games Mega Bundle because it might be just what you need. This growing bundle includes 16 math games, and if I create new math games (and I probably will), those games will be added to this bundle, too. If you'd like to take a closer look at the games in this bundle, click the individual games at the end of this post to find them in my TpT store. If you like all of them, you'll save over $25 by purchasing the bundle!

Earlier this week I hosted a giveaway of this bundle and two $10 TpT gift cards, but the giveaway ended on June 6th. Congratulations to Aimee Wallace, the grand prize winner of the bundle, and to Jaime Homan and Becky Raycroft, the winners of the TpT gift cards.

As a part of the giveaway, I asked teachers to preview the books in the bundle and tell me which ones were their favorites. To enter the contest, they had to comment on my Teaching Resources Facebook page to tell me which games they liked best and why they liked them. I especially loved reading the comments from teachers who already had some of the games because they shared how the games actually worked with their students. If you'd like to read those comments, click over to the giveaway post on Facebook. Even though the contest is over, feel free to comment about which games you like!

Tips for Teaching with Math Games
If you'd like some tips for teaching with math games, check out my post, How to Use Math Games Effectively in the Classroom. In that post, I shared some strategies and techniques for using math games as a part of your instruction rather than just for fun. I also described an easy mini-lesson on how to teach kids to be a good sport. Many of those tips and that mini-lesson are also included in my freebie, Tips for Teaching with Math Games, which you can download from my TpT store. Enjoy!

An InLinkz Link-up

Teaching Order of Operations: No-fail Strategies that Really Work!

Order of operations can be frustrating to teach, but it doesn't have to be. There's no question that this is an extremely challenging topic for elementary students. Fortunately, there are loads of strategies for teaching order of operations that are both fun and effective.

One reason kids struggle with this concept is that there are so many rules to learn and follow. Even worse, rules that appear to be simple often prove to be deceptively complex.

For example, most kids can easily remember that multiplication and division are always performed before addition and subtraction, especially after they learn to follow the order described by "PEMDAS."

However, they tend to get stuck when an equation includes both multiplication AND division. Most kids automatically multiply before dividing, but order of operations tells us to perform the operation that comes first when reading the problem from left to right. No wonder kids find order of operations to be super confusing!

Another reason kids struggle is that even when they understand how to use order of operations correctly, they don't apply the rules systematically. Because the problems look easy, students try to rely on mental math alone to solve them. This may work with the easy problems, but mental math isn't effective with more complex problems that include multiple operations, parentheses, exponents.

After watching my students struggle with order of operations, I developed a simple lesson that worked every time. As a result, my students actually remembered the rules and could easily apply them to any problem. I'd like to share these no-fail strategies with you, along with two free order of operations printables you can use to help your students grasp these concepts.

How to Introduce Decimals with Base Ten Blocks

There's a reason math teachers start the year by introducing or reviewing place value concepts. Understanding place value is essential to developing a solid foundation of mathematical understanding.

Introducing Place Value
Whether you're introducing whole number concepts or decimal place value, it's important to start at the concrete level, and base 10 blocks work perfectly because they are sized according to their value.

Even upper elementary students aren't too old for base 10 blocks. Primary teachers often use them to introduce whole numbers, but base 10 blocks are also effective with upper elementary students when exploring decimals. Kids have to understand that each place to the left is 10 times the size of the place to the right, and base 10 blocks are the best way to explore that concept.

How to Introduce Decimals with Base 10 Blocks
When introducing decimals, you can use the cubes to represent tens, the flats to represent ones, the rods for tenths, and the units for hundredths. I found that it's really important to create a place value mat (like the one shown above) for these lessons because it helps students remember what place is represented by each model. To create mats like the ones I used in my lesson, draw the 4-column chart above on a large sheet of heavy paper (18" x 24") and laminate it. Use a dry erase marker to draw a decimal point between the ones place and the tenths place. Or you can print the patterns in my Build a Number freebie to create the place value mat on 2 sheets of 8.5" by 11" paper.

Seat your students in teams of four and give each team one set of Base 10 manipulatives. It's best if each student has a dry erase board and marker, too. Ask your students to divide up the materials so that one person has the cubes, one has the flats, one has the rods, and one has the units. Introduce each piece and explain how it represents a particular decimal place. I explained that even though they had been taught that the "flat" was equal to 100, I wanted them to think of it as one whole... maybe one whole cake for a family of mice! If they sliced the cake into 10 parts, each part was 1/10 or 0.1. If they cut those 10 slices into 10 parts, each part was 1/100 or 0.01 of the whole.

Team Practice: Build a Decimal 
After you introduce the value of each part of the model, lead them through the "Build a Decimal" lesson. Start by writing a decimal in standard form on the board and asking students work to with their team to "build" that number on the team mat. You can make up your own numbers or use the Build a Decimal task cards provided in this freebie. After you check to make sure that they represented the number properly on the mat, ask students to write the word name and expanded form.

Expanded form is particularly difficult when representing decimals, and using base 10 manipulatives seems to help illustrate the concept. For example, it's easy to see that the number on the mat can be written as 20 + 4 + 0.6 + 0.09 because students can see each place represented with physical objects. The expanded form of this number could also be expressed as 20 + 4 + 6/10 + 9/100 or completely broken down to 20 + 4 + 6 x (1/10) + 9 x (1/100). All of those ways to express decimals are much more easily viewed when looking at a mat such as the one below. Students can also see that each place to the left is 10 times greater than the one on its right.

Place Value Games Combo

As with most math concepts, it's not enough to introduce them with hands-on materials and then move on to the next lesson. Kids have to practice the terminology and work with the concepts until they are fluent with them. That's where math games come in handy. These four place value games are bundled together in my Place Value Games Combo pack, which is great for 4th and 5th grade. My students enjoyed all of these activities, and they perfect for math centers and small group instruction.

Place Value Partners Game 
CCSS 2.NBT.A.3, 4.NBT.2, and 5.NBT.A.3
Place Value Partners is my most popular game for reviewing whole number and/or decimal place value. It's similar to Battleship, but students use a game board with lines for placing numbers and number cards instead of ships and a coordinate grid. See the image below to understand how the game is set up and played. The Sender calls out each digit, one at a time, and tells the Receiver where to place them. When all the numbers are in place, they compare their game boards, check the final number and write its standard form, word name, and expanded form in their math journals or on a recording page. The packet shown here includes four different variations of the game board to include everything from 4-digit whole numbers to decimals.

Bingo Showdown Decimal Review 
CCSS 5.NBT.3 and 5.NBT.4.
Decimal Place Value Bingo Showdown is a variation of the classic Bingo game that can be used for whole group instruction, small guided math groups, cooperative learning teams, or in learning centers. What more can I say? It's Bingo and kids love it!

Place Value Spinner Games 
CCSS 4.NBT.2 and 4.NBT.3
Another game my students enjoyed was the Spin 4 Cash Place Value Review Game. In this activity, students practice word names and expanded forms using task cards and a spinner. When they get a correct answer, they may spin for a certain amount of "math cash." I also created an international version called Spin 2 Win that awards tokens instead of cash.

I'm the Greatest - Comparing Numbers Game 
CCSS 2.NBT.4, 4.NBT.2, 5.NBT.3
The final game I want to share with you is I'm the Greatest, a simple activity for comparing numbers. The teacher can play against the class, or students can play against each other in cooperative learning teams. In this game, players attempt to create the largest number by placing randomly-selected numbers on a game board. There's a bit of luck involved, but in order to win, students have to be able to read word names and compare numbers accurately.

All four games are available from my TeachersPayTeachers store, either individually or as a part of the Place Value Game Combo. Even if you have already introduced place value concepts, these games make great review and practice activities throughout the year. You've heard that practice makes perfect, and that definitely applies to place value concepts. Plenty of place value practice is needed to make perfect!

Math Games Make Learning Fun!

Math Games Round-up Linky

Spring is the perfect time to use math games with your students. Either you are finished with testing and the kids are restless, or you still have testing ahead of you and your kids are restless! Math games will motivate your students, keep them on task, and also help them review important skills ... while giving them the chance to put some of that restless energy to good use.

I love creating math games, and I've seen lots of terrific ones on Pinterest, so I thought I would host a Math Game Round-up here on Corkboard Connections! Visit each blog post linked below to find at least one free math game along with a tip about how to use math games in the classroom.

Selecting Partners for Math Games
Random partners are fun for some activities, but I don't recommend pairing students randomly in math. Instead, take a moment to pair students yourself before you pass out the materials. It's best for students with similar abilities to work together. It might be tempting to have struggling students play against strong students so they can get help, but that situation is going to frustrate both of them. It's best to keep students of similar ability levels together and differentiate instruction by giving them different games to play.

Island Conquer Game Freebie

One of my favorite math games is Island Conquer. I created this game for my 4th graders to practice area and perimeter skills. The game is for two players who take turns graphing coordinate points and creating rectangles on a grid. They claim ownership of the rectangle by calculating its area or perimeter, depending on the game played. My class loved it, so we decided that it needed a fun name. I remember Ryan piping up and saying, "Why don't you call it 'Island Conquer'? When you color the rectangle it's like you are capturing an island!" Everyone loved the name, and Island Conquer was born! You can download free it from my Geometry File Cabinet folder on Teaching Resources.

Monster Math Mix-up: Telling Time
My newest math game is Monster Math Mix-up: Telling Time. I created my first Monster Math Mix-up game when I was writing my Customary Measurement Conversions Power Pack, and it received rave reviews from the student field testers. In this game, each student receives a mixed-up monster puzzle and they have to assemble it, piece by piece, as they solve math problems. There's a bit of luck involved, though, because after each player solves a problem, he or she must spin a spinner to find out how many pieces to add ... or perhaps take away! The game was so popular that I decided to create a version of Monster Math Mix-up for telling time. This game is aligned with 2nd and 3rd grade Common Core objectives for telling time, and there are two sets of clock task cards to help you differentiate instruction. You can purchase Monster Math Mix-up from my TpT store.

The best thing about using math games is that they promote a positive classroom climate while helping students review and practice important math skills. When students play a game with a partner, they can have fun while learning, and you are free to work with individual students. It's a win-win for everyone, and a sure cure for spring fever!

Tips for Using Math Games Effectively in the Classroom

Who doesn't love a game? In the math classroom, games offer an engaging alternative to worksheets, allowing students to work with others and have fun while learning. They’re perfect for practicing new skills or reviewing previously-learned content. Math games are extremely versatile and can be used in cooperative learning teams, in small group instruction, or in math centers.

One key to using math games effectively is to develop clear and specific management systems and procedures. Students need to know when they can play the games, where to go to play them, how to choose a partner, and a host of other procedures.

In this blog post, I'll share a few tips for using math games effectively. I've also compiled some of my best strategies in Tips for Teaching with Math Games, a freebie which you can download from my TpT store.

Using Math Games in Cooperative Learning Teams
Math games work well in cooperative learning teams during whole group instruction or while you are working with small guided math groups. After you introduce a skill, demonstrate it, and check for understanding, have students play a game to practice the skill. When you use games in cooperative learning teams, each team will need a copy of the game materials, and all teams will be engaged in playing the games while you serve as a facilitator. This gives you the opportunity to walk around and work with individual students who may need extra help.

Another way to use games in cooperative learning teams is for reviewing several different skills the day before a test. If you choose to use games this way, you’ll need a different game for each skill and rotate the games from team to team every 10 to 15 minutes. Sometimes you can use the same game but simply create different problem cards or task cards for each skill.

Using Math Games in Learning Centers
Using math game centers is a way to help students keep skills sharp throughout the year. You may want to set aside 15 to 20 minutes a day for students to work in math centers. Having them play the games first thing in the morning as other students arrive can keep them on task and energize them for the day. You can also encourage students to use these activities when they have completed other assignments or while you are working with a small group.

Using Games to Teach Social Skills
Some students have trouble playing games because they don't know how to be good sports. With these students, it doesn't whether they're winning or losing. When they're winning, they gloat about how well they are doing, and when they're losing, they blame other players or complain about their bad luck.

It might be tempting to give these students worksheets to do during math centers or other times when the rest of the class is playing math games, but that's not going to help them learn to be good sports.

One way to work on social skills is to teach a mini-lesson for the whole class on what “sportsmanship” means. The younger your students, the more help they will need with developing social skills for games. However, even older students can benefit from reviewing these skills.

Start the lesson by saying that math games can be fun, but only if the players demonstrate good sportsmanship. Display one of the two charts shown on the right which you can find in the Tips for Teaching with Math Games freebie, or create a chart of your own. Ask students to discuss what it means to be a “good sport” versus a “poor sport” when playing games. During the class brainstorming session, remind them not to name specific people or incidents that have happened in class. Just discuss behaviors such as bragging, taking turns, congratulating the winner, smiling, grabbing the materials, not following the rules, and pouting. Write each behavior on the class chart, and then finish the discussion by reviewing how to be a good sport.

Another helpful strategy is teach your students how to deal with common tasks such as deciding who goes first or who will shuffle the deck of task cards. Rather than arguing, they can flip a coin, play Rock-Paper-Scissors, or toss a die. After you address these issues with mini-lessons, you’ll find that your students enjoy playing games more and get along better with their peers.

Wrap up the mini-lesson by reminding your students that although they might not win every game, they are all winners because they are having fun while they learning.

Where to Find Fun and Effective Math Games
You can create your own math games, but they are time-consuming to make. If you don't have the time or the desire to create your own, check out the collection of games in my Math Games Growing Mega Bundle. I LOVE creating math games that are engaging, fun, and most importantly, effective learning tools.

All of the math games in this bundle are appropriate for upper elementary students, and many can be adapted for younger or older students by changing the task cards. Each game includes teacher directions, ready-to-use printable game materials, and answer keys. Some of the games also include QR code answers as well as traditional answer key.

My Math Games Mega Bundle includes 16 games right now, but that's likely to change. I refer to it as a "growing" bundle because when I create more math games, they will be added to this collection. Anyone who has already purchased it will be able to download the new games for free.

All of the games in this bundle can also be purchased separately. To preview any of these math games, just click on its cover image below. You'll be taken to a page in my TpT store with more information about the game, thumbnail images, and a link to preview every page in the game. If you like them all, you'll save 30% by purchasing the entire bundle.

Where to Grab Your Tips for Teaching with Math Games Freebie
If you enjoyed the tips I shared in this post, be sure to download my free PDF, Tips for Teaching with Math Games, which includes even more tips for teaching with math games.

How do you use math games in your classroom?  Do you have any tips of your own to share?

An InLinkz Link-up

Now's the Time for Math Stations!

Have you  used math stations or math centers in your classroom this year? If not, this is the perfect time to start! As you prepare for end-of-the-year tests, you need time to work with small groups of students on specific skills. But what are you supposed to do with the other kids? If you set up math stations, the rest of the class can work with a partner or alone on a math review game or activity. This photo shows two of my former students playing a matching math review game. Math stations make the end of the year so much fun!

I've experimented with several methods for using math stations. and I discovered that setting them up wasn't nearly as difficult as I had imagined. Math centers can consist of nothing more than a deck of math cards and a set of directions. I generally used the Rotation Station model or Choice Stations with center menu options. You can learn more about both models on my Implementing Math Stations page on Teaching Resources. On that page, you'll also find some great free math games to use in centers.

Math Stations for Middle Grades (3 - 8)
After years of using math stations successfully, I decided to write an ebook to share my strategies. Math Stations for Middle Grades includes management strategies, prepared math games, and a variety of templates so that you can create your own problems to go along with the games. The item shown here is for a single classroom; I now have a school site license available as well. You can preview everything online before you purchase to see if the materials are right for your classroom.

More recently, I've created loads of freebies and games to use in math centers, and many of them are aligned with the Common Core. Just take a look in my Math File Cabinet to see what you can find!

Island Conquer Area & Perimeter Games

Area and perimeter are two concepts that students frequently confuse, so fun math games to practice those skills are always welcome - especially when they are free! Island Conquer is a set of two games that provide opportunities for students to explore area or perimeter on a coordinate grid. Students play with a partner and take turns using the Coordinate Cards to plot rectangles on the Island Conquer game board. After each person plots a rectangle, he or she calculates the area or perimeter of the "captured" island. At the end of the game, they add up the total area or perimeter to find out who is the new Island King or Queen!

You can download this freebie from the Geometry folder in my online Math File Cabinet at Teaching Resources. I hope your students enjoy this game as much as mine did!

Fraction Spinners Freebie

I recently asked a question on my Teaching Resources Facebook about what teachers need right now, and several of you responded by asking for fraction activities. Fortunately, I have a whole page on my website devoted to fractions, and most items are free!

This Fraction Spinner set is one freebie you'll find there. It doesn't come with directions, so I decided to post a few ideas here and ask others to share their suggestions. There are actually 2 variations of the spinner; one has different denominators and the  other spinner has twelfths as the denominator for all fractions. I changed the image and heading on each spinner slightly so that if you use both of them, your students won't get mixed up.

Click to download these two spinners or go directly to the Fraction File Cabinet page to find them and other fraction freebies. Just print the spinner that's right for your class and use a paper clip and a pencil as shown on the directions.

Fraction Spinner Game Suggestions
What would you do with one of these fraction spinners? They're perfect for creating fraction center games or cooperative learning activities. I suggest having students play with a partner rather than in teams so they'll be more actively involved. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

• Simplifying Fractions Game (Same Denominator Spinner) - Have students take turns spinning the spinner and recording the fraction. If it's already in lowest term, they score one point. If it needs to be simplified and they do it correctly, they score two points. If they think it's in lowest terms but it's not, they lose a point.
• Adding or Subtracting Fractions Game - Students spin twice and record each fraction. They also flip a coin. If the coin lands on heads, they add the fractions and simplify. If the coin lands on tails, they subtract the smaller one from the larger one. Students score a point for each correct answer. Because there's no answer key, both players will have to work the problem or one can check with a calculator that handles fractions.
• Comparing Fractions Game - Each student spins the spinner once and records his or her fraction. Players compare fractions and decide who has the larger fraction. The person with the larger fraction for that round wins a point. They continue playing until one person scores 10 points.
• Ordering Fractions Game - Students spin the spinner 3 times and record all 3 fractions. They rearrange the fractions so that they are in order from least to greatest. If the other player agrees on the arrangement, the player scores a point. Continue playing until one person scores 10 points.

I love how easy it is to take a simple item like a fraction spinner and create lots of different math games. How would you use these spinners in your math class?

Teaching Resources