Nurturing Mathematicians Through Playful Learning

Inspiring joy and excitement in our mathematicians in the first week of school is an important part of building a mathematical community and games are an incredible tool to achieve just that! As we embark on a new year of learning together, I love incorporating games into our math journey. Not only do they make learning fun, but they also foster a sense of community, help assess children's mathematical thinking, and establish the routine of math workshop.

The Power of One Game per Week

During the first three weeks of school, I introduce one new game per week. Why just one game? Because I firmly believe that "repeated experiences allow us to deepen our understanding." This idea, shared by Dr. Leyton Schnellert has always resonated with me. By focusing on a single game, we can delve into other teachable ideas simultaneously, ensuring a rich and immersive learning experience.

A Sample Week of Teaching a New Game:

Day 1 - Introducing the Game: On the first day, we gather as excited mathematicians, ready to explore a new game. I introduce the rules and objectives of the game, encouraging questions and curiosity. This fosters a collaborative and supportive learning environment right from the start.

Day 2 - Mathematical Concepts: Next, we dive deeper into the mathematical concepts embedded within the game. We explore number sense, problem-solving strategies, critical thinking, and mathematical language. Each game move becomes an opportunity to strengthen our math mindset and skills.

Day 3 - Reflecting and Refining: As we continue to play the game throughout the week, we engage in reflective discussions, about content, mindset, collaboration and communication. We celebrate our successes and analyze our challenges, honing our understanding and strategic thinking.

Day 4 - Extensions and Connections: On the fourth day, we extend the learning structure of math workshop beyond the game. We explore new routines during the mini lesson time, but continue game play during our investigation and continue to refine and reflect during the sharing portion.

Day 5 - Refining and Consolidating our Learning: As the week comes to an end, we celebrate our growth as mathematicians. Students share their insights, discoveries, and "aha" moments. It is a chance to revisit and add to our learning from the week. This final day of the game week reinforces the sense of accomplishment and excitement for future learning.

“Play is to mathematics as books are to reading.”- Dan Finkle

Games are a powerful tool to ignite the joy of learning in our mathematicians. They bring to life the foundations of mathematical communities; identity, mindset, collaboration and communication. Games offer the children a chance to put these important community components into action in a fun and playful way. By introducing one game per week, we create a meaningful and enjoyable math experience that lays the foundation for a successful year of exploration, growth mindsets and mathematical community. We also model the idea of perseverance and practice, by consistently coming back and building upon our learning of one specific game. 

Want a more detailed plan of aligning game play with the math workshop structure of mini-lessons, investigations and sharing? Click here to access your free 2 week guide to introducing games in the math workshop structure! 

Bonus Teacher Tip #1: Post a visual list of games you have introduced to the children so that you and the children can refer back to them, have documentation of your learning and inspiration in any moments of ‘extra time,’ or for a substitute teacher to reference. Continue to add to the list throughout the year as new games are introduced.

Bonus Teacher Tip#2: Use classroom games as part of your home-school connections. Invite the children to teach the games to their families. Invite families to send photos of the children playing math games at home and or share their favourite home games with the class. You can also have the children teach the games to families during meet the teacher night. 

Let's embrace the power of games and create a classroom filled with confident and enthusiastic mathematicians!

Free First 2 Weeks Of Lesson Plans!