{"id":1542,"date":"2015-10-29T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2015-10-29T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/thecornerstone.wpengine.com\/math-games\/"},"modified":"2022-05-02T20:27:42","modified_gmt":"2022-05-03T01:27:42","slug":"math-games","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/truthforteachers.com\/math-games\/","title":{"rendered":"An alternative to differentiated math centers that’s easier, faster, AND more effective"},"content":{"rendered":"

Math\u00a0centers or workstations where kids are all involved in different activities are a fundamental part of many elementary classrooms.<\/h2>\n

But centers are also a tremendous amount of work for the teacher, as both differentiation and assessment can be time-consuming and difficult. Are the kids really learning? Are the activities on an appropriate level for each student? How can you tell without grading fifteen different types of activities?<\/p>\n

I replaced math centers in my classroom with a 10-minute daily partner game time, <\/strong>and it\u2019s\u00a0one of the most powerful strategies I\u2019ve found for getting kids\u00a0to construct knowledge and think deeply about math concepts.<\/p>\n

How is a differentiated\u00a0math partner game time different from math centers?<\/h3>\n

Kids can pair up and play a game with a partner in either setup. But usually, when students are in centers, you the teacher are working with a small group. Since you\u2019re busy teaching, it\u2019s hard to tell whether the rest of the class is actually learning anything in their centers or if they\u2019ve just mastered the art of looking busy.<\/p>\n

During math partner games, however,\u00a0you are not responsible for small group instruction, so you\u2019re free to facilitate students\u2019 thinking and engage kids in conversations about what they\u2019re learning.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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What makes a differentiated math partner game time so beneficial?<\/h3>\n

Having the\u00a0whole class play the same game at the same time allows you to conduct mini-lessons\/strategy discussions around shared experiences before and after gameplay. <\/strong><\/p>\n

And because the whole class is playing the same game at the same time, you can be 100% focused on observing your students during play and pushing their thinking.<\/strong> You get to watch and engage with\u00a0students as they actively construct knowledge through collaborative\u00a0hands-on activities.<\/p>\n

How do I make time for differentiated math partner games?<\/h3>\n

A whole class partner game time can be completed in less than half the time that centers or workstations usually take.\u00a0It\u2019s\u00a0a great way to break up long periods of direct instruction<\/strong> with guided practice and\u00a0meaningful opportunities for students to explore and talk about math concepts.<\/p>\n

In my 90-minute math block, for example, I was required to do standardized test prep\/spiraling review practice with the kids for 20 minutes at the start of the math period. I chose to follow that with 10 minutes for math partner games, and then launched into my math concept\/skill lesson for the day. The active, hands-on partner games were the perfect way to clear students\u2019 heads and let them have some fun.<\/p>\n

How many times do kids play the same game?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Generally, students play the same game for an entire week <\/strong>so you have lots of targeted opportunities for identifying and addressing misconceptions and scaffolding student learning.<\/p>\n

The repetition\u00a0also gives students time to\u00a0master the rules of the game\u2013and that\u2019s where the magic happens.<\/strong> Once kids understand the basics of how to play, they really start focusing on the targeted math skills, determining patterns and strategies, and engaging in higher-level thinking during the discussions.<\/p>\n

A good math partner game is open-ended and allows kids to construct their own knowledge. This example is from my Geometry unit.<\/p>\n

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A good math partner game is open-ended and allows kids to construct their own knowledge. This example is from my Geometry unit.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

How are kids paired up?<\/h3>\n

I recommend that math game partners be selected by the teacher (rather than self-selected) so that students are paired homogeneously.\u00a0<\/strong>This is important because if you have heterogeneous pairs (mixed ability levels), the less advanced child will lose frequently and get frustrated.\u00a0Kids are just like we are as adults\u2013it\u2019s only fun to play a game\u00a0if you regularly experience success and feel like you have a fair shot at winning.<\/p>\n

Partner 1 is responsible for getting all the game materials from the front of the room, and Partner 2 is responsible for returning them after game play. I usually set a timer for one minute and teach kids to have everything in its place and be ready to work when the timer goes off. This routine makes set up and clean up super quick.<\/p>\n

\"Partner
Partner 1 is responsible for getting all the game materials from the front of the room, and Partner 2 is responsible for returning them after game play. I usually set a timer for one minute and teach kids to have everything in its place and be ready to work when the timer goes off. This routine makes set up and clean up super quick.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This list of partners is always displayed for the kids\u2019 reference. I\u00a0make changes to the partner list based on my observations and student input. I\u2019ve found that some kids want to keep the same partner for months, but most kids want to change partners every few weeks, and I try to accommodate them either way so they enjoy the games more.<\/p>\n

Is it really\u00a0differentiated practice if all the kids are playing the same game?<\/h3>\n

Yes! Differentiation is\u00a0another reason\u00a0why\u00a0I think it\u2019s better to pair kids with similar ability levels for math partner games.<\/strong> You\u2019ll be able to spend more time supporting your struggling students since they\u2019ll be working together. And having your highest-performing kids paired together will be extremely valuable for them because they can play quickly and enjoy being challenged in a way that doesn\u2019t always happen during mixed-ability cooperative activities.<\/p>\n

I often differentiate the materials I give each pair of students.<\/strong>\u00a0For example, below-grade-level students might use a 6 sided number cube (die) during game play, while above-grade-level students might use a\u00a012 or 24 sided cube and play the same game with higher numbers.<\/p>\n

I also include a\u00a0challenge activity in each game<\/strong> which I assign to certain pairs of students for differentiation. Other pairs can choose to do the challenge if they have time, and usually by the last two or three days of the week, most students are ready to try the challenge unless they haven\u2019t yet shown proficiency with the basic level of game play.<\/p>\n

Additionally, I include\u00a0\u201cMath Talk\u201d questions with my games<\/strong> and have\u00a0students reflect in a conversation or via their\u00a0math journals. These are open-ended questions that are naturally differentiated.<\/p>\n

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I like to laminate the materials so students can use them with dry erase markers\u2013it\u2019s more fun for them, and means less photocopying for me.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

How do I introduce a differentiated math partner game to my class?<\/h3>\n

This is where math partner games and center time may differ: you as\u00a0teacher MUST model how to play the game FIRST. <\/em><\/p>\n

While it\u2019s tempting to skip the demonstration, it makes a HUGE difference in the quality of strategical thinking\u00a0and conversations you\u2019ll get from\u00a0your students.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Use the partner\u00a0games to model mathematical thinking\/reasoning and draw attention to the math strategies you want students to use.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Introduce one\u00a0game to your students each week.<\/strong>\u00a0During the modeling, you can demonstrate the basics of the game by playing against a student volunteer.\u00a0 I use a document camera to help with this, so the class can see the game pieces as we play. I then ask\u00a0two other student volunteers to\u00a0play the game for a couple of minutes in front of the class.<\/p>\n

Right after the modeling\/demonstration, release students to try playing the game with their partners.<\/strong> If you see a lot of kids\u00a0making the same mistakes or demonstrating major misconceptions, end the game play time a little early. Talk about it afterward, and do more modeling the next day.<\/p>\n

When you first introduce a game at the beginning of the week, you\u2019ll start your math partner game time with around\u00a05 minutes of modeling.\u00a0By mid-week, you can start the time with a mini lesson focusing on the higher-order thinking skills you want students to develop.<\/p>\n

What am I as the teacher doing during\u00a0game play?<\/h3>\n

In just this one 10 minute time period, you can accomplish so many different things:<\/p>\n