Family Math Night (Dec. 2017)

Family Math Night (Dec. 2017)
Posted on 12/08/2017
math night graphicBy Claire Dahill, Math Coach

Family Math Night on November 17th was a blast! What a pleasure it was to see families engaging in math games together. Heard around the room: “Yes!, ...no, wait! YES!!!, NO!!!, I got this!, I think…” There were over 15 different math games ranging in levels of complexity to meet the needs of JK to 5th grade students, along with a technology station with different online math games. At the end of the evening, each family went home with a new deck of cards and a pair of dice so they could continue the games at home.

If you were unable to attend and would like a take-home deck of cards and dice, please stop by the math coach’s office (outside K room 101). There are a limited number left, so first come, first serve.

Special thanks to all the families and staff that contributed to the success of the evening!

Below are directions for a simple card game that can easily be adapted for the type of facts (i.e. addition, subtraction, multiplication, fractions) your child may be working on. Just 15 minutes a day of practice (preferably in an engaging game format) can make a BIG difference in a child’s fluency with numbers.

Below are directions for playing a simple math game using a deck of regular playing cards. There are multiple variations, so the game can be adapted for different levels. Each game gives student(s) an opportunity to practice mental math.


How to Play “War” Card Game

Basic War (good for very young students to practice comparing numbers): 
Deal out all the cards. Each player turns over one card face up. The player with the greatest number wins the round, placing his/her own and all captured cards into his/her pile. Whenever there is a tie for greatest card, all the players battle: each player lays three cards face down, then a new card face up. The greatest of these new cards will capture everything on the table. (Ace = 1, Jack = 11, Queen = 12, King = 13). When players have fought their way through the entire deck, count the number of captured cards. Whoever has captured the most cards wins.

Addition or Subtraction War: 
Players turn two cards up for each round. The player with the highest sum wins that round and captures all four cards. Or, players subtract the lesser number from the greater. The player with the greatest difference wins that round and captures all four cards.

Product War: 
Turn up two cards and multiply. The player with the greatest product wins that round and captures all four cards. Advanced Product War: Turn up three (or four) cards and multiply.

Fraction War: 
Players turn up two cards and make a fraction, using the smaller card as the numerator. Greatest fraction wins that round. Students can record their fractions and use the <, >, = symbols to compare the two fractions.

Wild War: 
Players turn up three cards and may do whatever math manipulation they wish with the numbers. The greatest answer wins the round.

Just 10-15 minutes a day of practice can make a real difference in a student’s fluency with math facts, and they’ll enjoy the time spent together. Have fun!
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