GAMES THAT REINFORCE ADDITION

One of the best ways to practice math facts is through games. The following games are easy and enjoyable and will help in the memorization of addition facts. Your child will benefit the most, if you play the games or interact while he/she is playing with another child.

CONCENTRATION

Two or more people can play, "Concentration." The object of the game is to find pairs of matching cards among an array of face down cards. Help your child write addition or subtraction facts (9+6, 5+7) on one set of index cards and the answers (15, 12) on another set. Use a limited number of cards to start with, maybe 8 pairs, and slowly increase the number when your child seems ready for more.

Shuffle the cards and lay them out face down. The first player turns over two cards, if they match, the player keeps the two cards and takes another turn. If the two cards are different, the cards must be placed back in their same positions face down. The next player takes a turn trying to find two matching cards. As the game progresses, players must concentrate and try to remember where the different numbered cards are located. When all the cards have been collected, the person with the most pairs wins.

ADDITION WAR

Use a regular deck of playing cards. Divide the cards evenly among the players. Cards are dealt face down. Each player turns over two cards and adds the numbers on the cards. The player with the greatest sum keeps all the cards played that round.

Variations: Change the rule and the player with the lowest sum wins. Another version would be to remove the jokers, tens and face cards. Each player turns over 3 cards, adds the numbers together and the player with the greatest sum collects the cards.

BOARD GAMES

Play any board game where you could roll dice to determine the number of spaces to move. This will reinforce the addition facts to 12. If the game would be completed too quickly by moving the higher sums of 10, 11, and 12, just move the number in the ones place when you roll a number over 10. For example; if 6 and 6 is rolled, just move 2 spaces because the 2 is in the ones place.

Variation: If your child is comfortable adding multiple addends, use 3 dice, add the three numbers together and move the number of spaces in the ones place. For example, if 7, 5 and 6 are rolled, just move 8 spaces because the 8 is in the one's place.

It is interesting, informative and diagnostic to observe the method your child uses to add the 3 addends. Does he/she group in tens or add the doubles first or count by ones using the dots on the dice? Watch and explore his/her strategies.

DICE

For the following games, You will need 2, 3 or 4 dice and one score sheet. Tally to so many rolls or to a preset score like 50 or 100 points.

• Add sum of two dice, greatest or least wins.
• Add sum of three or four dice, greatest sum wins.
• Roll three dice, (3 colored, 1 white), subtract the number on the white dice from the sum of the colored dice, greatest sum wins.

Addition, Subtraction

For the following games, you will need one score sheet to keep track of wins. In addition, each player will need a pencil and a sheet of paper for calculating.

• add the sums of each roll to the total from previous rolls, first person to reach 50 or 100 wins
• subtract from 100, person closest to 0 wins

Tally to so many games or so many points; or play until someone rolls a double six, then use a calculator to get individual scores. The player with the greatest sum wins.

UP TO A HUNDRED GAME

Players: 2 or more

This is an addition game, and is great fun for the mathematically inclined. It would be a great game to remember while you are waiting for the food to arrive at a restaurant or your turn at the dentist's office. All you need is paper and pencil.

1. The first player writes down any number from one to nine.

2. The next player adds any other number from one to nine and writes the sum underneath the first number.

3. The players continue like this, each person adding any number from one to nine. The object of the game is to be the person whose final addition brings the sum to exactly 100.

4. This is harder than it sounds. You are trying to be the first person to bring it up to 100, and you are also trying to keep all the other players from finishing before you do. (Easier version: use a hundred's chart to add the numbers.)

5. Variations: Try playing it in reverse - subtract one-digit numbers from 100, the first player to reach zero is the winner. You could also try with numbers between one and 20 to reach a final sum of 517 or 739, or whatever. For these variations, a calculator may be use