{"id":2878,"date":"2024-06-14T06:47:00","date_gmt":"2024-06-14T06:47:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.terc.edu\/adultnumeracycenter\/?p=2878"},"modified":"2024-08-09T02:34:50","modified_gmt":"2024-08-09T02:34:50","slug":"games-for-beginning-math-learners","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.terc.edu\/adultnumeracycenter\/games-for-beginning-math-learners\/","title":{"rendered":"Games for Beginning Math Learners"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Photo by Pavel Danilyuk<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

by Melissa Braaten<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why Games?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Almost every culture in the world has used mathematical and spatial reasoning for recreation. In other words, humans use math for fun, and all adult learners deserve to have access to recreational math for this reason, in addition to other educational benefits. Dice, card, and board games often employ important reasoning skills and encourage the use of strategy and self-reflection, or metacognition, to decide whether the strategy one is using could be improved.  Many games incorporate specific mathematical skills, and most provide exposure to the very challenging concept of probability. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beginner math learners may not have a ton of exposure to mathematical games if their limited skills or math anxiety have caused them to avoid them in their social lives. Playing games in class can provide a comfortable and scaffolded way to introduce students to different games, which they might later choose to play for fun with families and friends. Games can help students to relax, lessen math anxiety, and build community as long as they are structured to minimize competition with low stakes and a supportive atmosphere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dan Finkel’s Criteria for Math Games<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Games make up a significant part of my beginner level math class. Dan Finkel, the founder of the website Math for Love<\/a><\/em> and a huge advocate for games in the math classroom, suggests a few criteria for high quality math games. He writes that games should involve:<\/p>\n\n\n\n