Math Games

 For many teachers, it has become harder to work with students via distance learning.  The way we teach in class is not necessarily the method we can use via distance learning.  One way to change things around to make the lesson more interesting is to rely on math games.

There are several sites out there where students can play games designed to help them improve their math.  This is the perfect time to assign games to help scaffold the student to improve weak areas.

One site, Math Playground,  has a ton of free games covering so many different skills.  Although the games range from addition and subtraction, to multiplication and division, to fractions, money, geometry and pre-algebra, some of the games can be used for older children.

Some of the geometry games, have students reading the angle off a protractor to determine where the rocket is headed, practice perimeter, finding coordinate points, identify shapes, and other games.  In the pre-algebra section, there are games dealing with order of operations, finding the value of x, integers, exponents and so much more.

There are only two issues I have with the games.  First, some need an updated version of Adobe flash while none of the games I explored had instructions so you fumbled with them.  On the other hand, the games are divided into math games, logic games, math arcade, story math, and math videos.  The story math uses think blocks to help students learn to work through story problems step by step, using manipulatives.  Off hand I'd say this site is for elementary and middle school.

There is also Cool Math Games which has a variety of games ranging from skill, to logic, to number based games. Many of the games do not have the type of math basis I would expect but I'm not one for video games.  I do know that many of my 9th graders loved going here to play but you need to have adobe flash for many of the games.

Next is Hooda Math, a site with lots of different math games.  I've known children who would spend all their free time here.  First of all, this site can be shared with Google classroom. Second, it has over 350 games for all ages.  Towards the bottom of the page, you can find a grade level which takes you to a list of games geared for that age group.  At the bottom of the page, you can click on a skill and it will take you to a list of games geared for that skill or concept.

I clicked on the topic labeled Algebra.  In it I found at least 7 games that helped with solving different types of equations. At least four were more like multi-player type games and all were timed so the faster you accurately answered the equations, the higher the score you received and if you did well enough, you might wing.

I found some geometry games, including one called transformation golf where you identify the moves through translation, rotation, reflection, or dilation needed to get the golf ball into the hole and you move onto the next hole.  After each round, you  find out if you matched the par, were under or over.  At the end of 9 rounds, you could see how you did.  I rather enjoyed it because the choices limited you to using only certain moves.

Check this site out.  Since most of us are teaching via distance, these sites will provide practice for our students so the practice is not always the kill and drill variety. Let me know what you think, I'd love to hear.  have a great day.