Just the Facts

Five Games for Teaching Math Facts

by Gary Hopkins, Education World®

Practice! Practice! Practice! That's how most students learn their addition facts or times tables. Rote drill is a popular and proven tool for learning math facts. But it's OK to lighten up and add some fun to math-facts learning.

Just as understanding letter sounds is fundamental to the ability to read, so is knowing math facts the foundation to future math learning. That's why teachers in the primary and elementary grades spend so much time practicing and memorizing and drilling and timing students in basic addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division facts. Accuracy and speed are the goals. Work sheets and timed tests and games -- yes, games! -- are often the tools.

Games -- relay races, card games, and computer games -- actively engage students as they reduce stress and make learning fun. This week, Education World offers you...

Five Games to Engage Students as They Learn Math Facts

1. Math Facts Race
   This fun math race reinforces math facts in a very visual way. (Grades K-8)
    
2. Math Fact War
   Adapt a traditional card game to practice math facts. (Grades K-8)
    
3. Saved By the Bell
   This fast-paced team game is a fun way to practice math facts. (Grades K-8)
    
4. Multiplication BINGO
   Adapt the BINGO game to reinforce multiplication table skills. (Grades 3-8)
    
5. Online Math Facts Games
   Online math-facts games for friendly classroom competition and at-home practice. (Grades K-8)