Early Childhood Number Games: Teachers Reinvent Math Instruction, Pre-K through 3rd Grade [Paperback]

Alice Wakefield (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 6, 1998

The traditional method for teaching math-memorizing rules to get answers-does not help children develop number logic. Without number logic most children are not able to understand more difficult and more complex number relationships. This book gives teaches a powerful tool to help develop math logic. Logic that is constructed by thinking, not by merely following someone else's directions to solve a problem. Early Childhood Math Games contains 25 original number games that a teacher can assemble and use immediately with students. The author shows how playing math games not only enables young children to make their own natural abilities to think, but encourages the interaction that is necessary for the development of logico-mathematical thinking. The math games provide teachers with a daily, invaluable observation instrument that can be used in the classroom to assess children's strengths and weaknesses. The games were all designed to be easily prepared and used with children and includes a variety of types of games along with different versions of the same game. Elementary school educators. A Longwood Professional Book

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

The traditional method for teaching math-memorizing rules to get answers-does not help children develop number logic. Without number logic most children are not able to understand more difficult and more complex number relationships. This book gives teaches a powerful tool to help develop math logic. Logic that is constructed by thinking, not by merely following someone else's directions to solve a problem. Early Childhood Math Games contains 25 original number games that a teacher can assemble and use immediately with students. The author shows how playing math games not only enables young children to make their own natural abilities to think, but encourages the interaction that is necessary for the development of logico-mathematical thinking. The math games provide teachers with a daily, invaluable observation instrument that can be used in the classroom to assess children's strengths and weaknesses. The games were all designed to be easily prepared and used with children and includes a variety of types of games along with different versions of the same game. Elementary school educators. A Longwood Professional Book

Product Details

• Paperback: 277 pages
• Publisher: Allyn & Bacon; 1 edition (February 6, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0205195660
• ISBN-13: 978-0205195664
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,189,934 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars excellent games for teaching basic math concepts, March 15, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Early Childhood Number Games: Teachers Reinvent Math Instruction, Pre-K through 3rd Grade (Paperback)

Wonderful book for using games instead of worksheets for learning addition,subtraction, multiplication and division. Each game gives a version for younger or older children. There are cover-up games, money games, outdoor games, and children's story games. some supplies are provided in the book others are easily made. Very good book for game ideas.

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great math resource!, April 27, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Early Childhood Number Games: Teachers Reinvent Math Instruction, Pre-K through 3rd Grade (Paperback)

A wonderful compilation of games to teach children number and math concepts! So much better than the same old worksheets! I would highly recommend this book to anyone looking to "liven up" their math instruction!

5.0 out of 5 stars More than just games, July 9, 2011

By 

lovegoodbooks - See all my reviews

This review is from: Early Childhood Number Games: Teachers Reinvent Math Instruction, Pre-K through 3rd Grade (Paperback)

There are lots of resources that give ideas for math games, but what sets Early Childhood Number Games apart from the rest is the thoughtful chapters on the why and how to use games for kids. The author lays out a convincing argument for teaching children math in ways that let them come up with their own solutions, instead of the rote learning so many of us are exposed to and pass on to our children. As in other subjects, when children make their own discoveries, they retain it. Ms. Wakefield writes, "Sometimes parents and teachers think that they are teaching children only when they tell them directly how to do something, as with the rote learning of ABC's and 1-2-3's. However, children learn much more than memorized letters and numbers when they use letters and numbers to accomplish what they themselves want to do. The normal interaction of children at play (e.g., figuring out how many spaces to move according to the roll of the dice, how many cards make fifteen or what the "chance" card requires) provides natural reading and number thinking challenges."

Following these concise chapters of the thought behind the games, are the games themselves. They are in the following four categories: Cover-up games to encourage math thinking, Money games to encourage math thinking, Outdoor games to encourage math thinking, and Children's story games to encourage math thinking. She includes copyable game boards and cards in black and white that can be colored by the instructor or students and complete instructions for each game, along with recommended ages for each. The games are interesting and challenging, exploiting those subjects young children enjoy, such as sinking submarines, losing teeth, shopping, becoming "Monarch of the Mountain" (complete with the winner wearing a crown), adding whiskers to a cat, etc.

This book makes a great complement to other math resources such as Life of Fred, Miquon Math, Evan-Moor Daily Math, and Math-U-See. With varied and engaging math experiences like these, you may find you don't miss the drills at all...