Playing Math Games Together Builds Math Confidence

Some children seem to have a natural affinity for math and like it from an early age. Others decide — for whatever reason — they’re not good at it and they “hate math.” Math anxiety can even be communicated from parent to child. But one thing all kids have in common is a love of playing games!

One of the founding principles at DreamBox is the idea that kids will be more receptive to learning if they’re having fun. When studying math, there’s an element of repetition that’s an important part of learning new concepts and developing automatic recall of math facts — but when it’s part of a game children accept it and even enjoy working through it.

Playing games with a math component not only has these benefits, but it gives parents a way to be involved in their child’s math learning. In fact, the research

overwhelmingly shows that parent involvement in children’s learning is positively related to achievement. Students with involved parents are more likely to earn higher grades and test scores, have better social skills and adapt well to school, and graduate and go on to further education. ¹

There are countless games that incorporate math, and young children love to play together with the family. Games with dice and spinners give kids opportunities to use mental addition and subtraction. In Dominos, scoring is based on the landmark number five. Many card games are great — “War” helps kids master “greater than/less than” for example. Some families like to do physical sports together, which can involve scoring, timing, counting and measuring. Tangrams, Monopoly, Mancala, Backgammon, and Yahtzee are classics, and undoubtedly you can think of more.

• Family Board Games Build Math Skills, from Washington Parent Magazine: http://www.dalymath.com/math.htm
• Math and Reading Help, compiled by educators and students: http://math-and-reading-help-for-kids.org/articles/How_to_Help_Your_Child_Enjoy_Math.html
• This math.com page has been around for a while but has lots of good ideas: http://www.math.com/parents/articles/helpmath.htm
• A teacher at Village Elementary School in New Jersey has some great ideas: (link no longer available)
• For older kids, a Mathematical Games page from the Drexel School of Education Math Forum: http://www.madras.fife.sch.uk/maths/games/index.html

Playing together not only builds a solid foundation of math skills. Children can discover that math is relevant in life outside the classroom, and that there’s often more than one way to find an answer. That builds confidence, helping kids believe that they can be successful in math and opening doors to future achievement.

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1. Selected Parent Involvement Research: A summary of selected research compiled by Dr. John H. Wherry, President, The Parent Institute, P.O. Box 7474, Fairfax Station, VA 22039-7474, U.S.A. You can download it at: http://www.parent-institute.com/educator/resources/research/research.php — the site requires registration but it's free.

Math Learning Tips for Busy Parents

At DreamBox Learning, we know parents want to be involved with their children’s learning. As a regular feature, we include simple games parents can play with their young children, even during everyday activities. Parents can help develop math skills no matter what their child’s age by talking about the math in the world around them.

One, Two, Buckle my Shoe
Most young children love to sing, and research suggests that music really does have a positive effect on math ability. Singing a song like One, Two, Buckle my Shoe teaches rhythm, ordering, and counting skills. Learning songs and poems also can teach preschool children how to put story elements in order. Find the lyrics to this song (and many other learning songs) at: http://www.apples4theteacher.com/mother-goose-nursery-rhymes/one-two-buckle-my-shoe.html. Teach your child the song and sing it together!

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Free Beta Coming in Late October: Try the Newest Version of DreamBox

We will be releasing a new version of DreamBox Learning K-2 Math for our private beta program in late October which will include our 2nd grade curriculum, many new games and rewards, and various other improvements. DreamBox Learning is solid math wrapped in fun web-based adventures that kids love! And they’ll be learning the math that’s vital to their future.

If you are interested in signing up your Pre-K, Kindergarten, 1st, or 2nd grade child(ren) for our next beta, please click here. (If you’re currently a DreamBox beta user, you don’t need to sign up again — your account will automatically be updated and you can keep playing when our next version is ready!)

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Want to Learn More About DreamBox Learning? Read Our Blog!

You’ll find our commentary on the world of math learning and insight into life at DreamBox Learning. Read it at http://www.dreambox.com/blog/.