BOROONDARA PARK PRESS

From the 1/2 Classrooms

Maths Games

The Grade 1 and 2 students have been learning about addition and subtraction, and have been exploring the connection between the two operations. We have been using different strategies such as fingers, counters, friends of ten, counting on, counting back, doubles, near doubles and making a fact family. 

 

What are the benefits of playing maths games?

  • Fun and engaging
  • Builds confidence
  • Builds mathematical language
  • Reinforces and strengthens concepts taught in class
  • Builds strategic thinking & problem solving skills
  • Improves social & emotional skills – students follow a set of rules, learn to play together, take turns, be patient, win and lose respectfully

To enhance our learning, we have been playing various games including:

 

Get Out of my House

 

How to play: (2 players)

You will need: 2 dice (6 sided dot die and 10 sided die) & 14 counters. Each player has 7 counters of the same colour (a different color per person).

The objective of the game is to place all 7 counters on the board before your opponent.

  • Players take it in turns rolling two dice.
  • Depending on the developmental level of your opponent, simply add or subtract to make an answer with the two dice. Place a counter on the number made.
  • If a player lands on a number that has their partner's counter on it, they say ‘Get Out of My House’ and give the counter back to their partner.
  • Students can have more than one counter (of their own) on the same number, but if their opponent lands on that number, all counters are sent back.
  • Play continues until the first player places all 7 counters on the board.

Addition Golf

 

How to play: (2 players)

You will need: a deck of cards (remove the Kings, Jacks & Jokers)

Queens = 0 Aces = 1        All other cards are face value.

Play nine rounds and the winner has the lowest score.

  • Shuffle the deck and deal 7 cards to the first player.
  • Player 1 must try to ‘Make 10’ by matching cards together. Eg a Six and Four, or a Ten or Ten & Ace can 'Make 10'. Cards that have ‘made 10’ are placed in the discard pile. All remaining cards must be added together, recorded on the Golf score sheet then placed in the discard pile.
  • Player 2 is dealt 7 cards and must try to ‘Make 10’ by matching cards together. Cards that have ‘made 10’ are placed in the discard pile. All remaining cards must be added together, recorded on the Golf score sheet then placed in the discard pile.
  • You will need to shuffle the discard pile after a few rounds to keep playing.
  • Play continues for nine rounds recording the running total for each player per round. Just like in Golf, the winner has the lowest score!

 

Strike it Out

 

 

How to play: (2 players)

Player 1 crosses off 2 numbers and circles the sum (addition). The sum must be on the number line.

Player 2 crosses off the circled number (sum) and another number then circles the difference (subtraction) of the two crossed off numbers. 

Player 1 crosses off the circled number (last difference) and selects another number to cross off and circles the sum (addition).

  • Play continues in this way with each player starting with the number that has just been circled by the previous player, alternating between addition and subtraction.
  • Once a number has been used in a calculation, it cannot be used again.
  • The game ends when one player cannot make a calculation. The other player is the winner.

What strategy are you using?

 

Addition or Subtraction Snap

 

How to Play: (2 players)

You will need: 36 cards - 1 pack of cards from 1-9 only

The aim of the game is to win all of the cards!

  • First, decide whether to play Addition or Subtraction Snap.
  • Next, shuffle and share the cards evenly between the two players.
  • Simultaneously turn one card over each and quickly place it down.
  • Add (or subtract) the two cards really quickly in your heads and say the answer out aloud.
  • The first one to say the correct answer out aloud wins the cards.
  • When there is a tie, the cards stay in the middle. Put down another 2 cards and whoever is first to say the correct answer is aloud, collects ALL cards in the middle. 
  • The winner of the game is the player who has all 36 cards in the end. 

See and feel the excitement at home by playing these games with your children! 

 

Here are some pictures from school:

 

 

 

Prepared by the Grade 1 and 2 Teachers:  Paula Paziotis, Karin Tsiandikos-Huf, Maryanne Cozzio and Llaaneath Poor.