MAKE MATH FUN WITH EDUCATIONAL GIFTS Educational games can spike interest and fun while allowing parents to help their children grasp the math skills they need. “We firmly believe that all students need mathematics to succeed in the future,” says Johnny Lott, president of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics and professor of mathematical science at the University of Montana. “There are a variety of ways a student can learn math skills, and we should encourage these strategies.” Dr. Richard Bavaria, vice president of education for Sylvan Learning Center, says quality educational games often can take the place of everyday math drills. “Every time a child rolls some dice in a game and adds the number, that child is actually doing a math drill,” he says. “And the faster a child can do the math, the more honed his skills will become. This obviously carries over to the classroom.” When playing math games, children are not only building skills and fluency, they also are building speed. “It is the same as with a sport,” Bavaria says. “The more practice you have, the better you become.” Educational games take on a whole new meaning if a family can play together, Bavaria says. “It is always meaningful when mom, dad, grandparents or older siblings can get together and play games,” Bavaria says. “Children always want to be doing what the older folks are doing. Never underestimate the power of being a role model for younger children.” Below is a list of some math games on the market for all ages and skill levels. Math Chase Math Games — Similar to a trivia board game, this game presents children with 192 color-coded cards containing questions in four categories. Three levels of Math Chase Math Games are available (grades 1 through 3, grades 4 through 6 and grades 6 through 9). Cards in each version include three questions at different levels of difficulty so players of different ages and skills can still play together. Available at www.24hours7days.com, the Math Chase game costs $29.95 and includes a game mat, cards, game pieces, dice and instructions. Math Baseball — FunBrain.com offers math games, as well as games teaching grammar, geography and culture. Math Baseball presents children with an addition, subtraction, multiplication, division or combined math problem. The player answers the question and hits the “Swing” button. If the answer is correct, the player gets a single, double, triple or home run based on the difficulty of the problem. If the answer is wrong, the player gets an out. Currently, there are 20 free math games available to play online at www.FunBrain.com. Count Your Chickens — For preschool/kindergarten age students, this game gives children a variety of objects to count. A free game of Count Your Chickens is available at LearningPlanet.com. More advanced games include Add Same Coins or Add Sums to 10. Math games are available at www.LearningPlanet.com according to grade level and category. Algebra Thinking Games and Puzzles — In this game, children use color tiles to develop patterns and solution strategies while strengthening algebraic thinking and problem solving skills. Available at www.24hours7days.com, this algebra math game is recommended for grades 5 through 9. Each game box costs $19.95 and includes seven games and puzzles, a reproducible game graph master card, 100 color tiles and a user’s guide with answers. Math Challenge — Math questions show children how mathematics apply to the world surrounding them. A challenge, for example, may help your child figure out how fast her own heart beats or why most manhole covers are round. The challenges are available at a variety of difficulty levels, in English or Spanish and are accessible at www.figurethis.org. By Jessie Wellnitz