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Book Recommendation: Games for Math
We use Math U See and Montessori math, but I've found the best way to reinforce Math is to use a variety of methods. Games are a favorite around here, so I checked out this book for ideas.
Yesterday, my six year old and I played pyramid--similar to the traditional card game but you make pairs that add up to a specific number (you predetermine per game). She had a great time making pairs to ten. We've also tried this with "Go Fish" and instead of pairs, you are using a specific number that your two cards must equal. We also made a game board where you throw two pennies and add up the total. The person with the highest number wins!
I also decided to peek ahead to the more difficult math (the book covers games for K-3) and found a great multiplication game. You start with a blank piece of graph paper. Roll the dice: the number you get starts your rectangle. If you roll a 3, trace 3 squares on the graph. Roll again. If you roll a 6, trace 6 squares in a right angle. You now have the rectangle: two sides with the length of 3, two sides with the length of 6. Count all of the squares in the rectangle for the answer (you now have 6 X 3. My six year old hasn't quite grasped what we're doing, but she understands how we're building the equation and getting the answer. She LOVED this game!
If you get a chance, check it out at the library. I'm now purchasing it and the lowest price I found was on amazon.com.
