You are a busy teacher. There’s always a stack of papers to grade, lesson plans to write, parents to email, colleagues to collaborate with, and (I haven’t even mentioned student behavior to manage or assessments to administer…I mean I could go on).
Your to-do list is never-ending.
And it’s exhausting, am I right?
That’s why I am all for anything that is best for my students AND has the added benefit of making my life easier (and a little less stressful). ?
When I created my set of Digital Math Games, I had a few simple goals in mind. I wanted to:
- Address Common Core Math Standards
- Engage students in interesting review activities (and focus on test prep)
- Assess children in an informal manner
- Help students build math fluency
- Increase students’ motivation to learn and confidence when completing math tasks
- Improve students’ math knowledge and skills
I’m sure you have the same goals for your students so I want to share with you some ways that you can use Digital Math Games to support teaching and learning in your classroom too!
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Builds Teamwork and Collaboration
To effectively prepare our students for the future, it is critical that we teach them how to work cooperatively with others. Students need to learn how to take turns talking in a conversation, be an active listener, communicate and share ideas clearly, and learn to consider diverse viewpoints. All of these skills can be cultivated in a group setting through teamwork and collaboration.
There are many ways that you can use Digital Math Games to help foster a cooperative learning environment. You can assign students to pairs or small groups to complete the games and without even realizing it, they will become engaged in meaningful math talks. Students will discuss possible outcomes of answers, methods for solving problems, and share strategies for success.
Creates Consistent Routines
One way to make your classroom run more smoothly and efficiently is to implement consistent routines. When your students know what to expect in the classroom and procedures have been clearly set in place, it’s a win-win for everyone involved. Students spend more time on task and you can focus your time on small groups or individualized instruction.
Math centers can be a fun, consistent routine in your classroom that students will excitedly anticipate. Using a variety of hands-on activities, pencil-paper tasks, and Digital Math Games will keep students engaged and can improve student behavior. Keeping Digital Math Games as a consistent center activity allows students to be familiar with what is to come and reduces the amount of time you need to spend explaining directions to center assignments.
Provides Flexibility Inside and Outside of the Classroom
If there’s one thing we’ve all learned during the past school year, it’s that flexibility is a necessity! With some students still learning remotely and others in class (or having a combination of both), it can be hard to manage a classroom of learners these days.
Digital Math Games can help you adjust to the needs of your students whether they are in the classroom or at home. You can use these games in so many ways-for independent activities, informal assessments, homework assignments, distance learning work, center tasks, and even to provide a meaningful activity for that “I’m done!” student.
Differentiates Learning for Students
In a classroom full of students with different abilities, it can be difficult to meet all students’ needs in a way that doesn’t require countless hours of planning on your part. And you know the key to success is well…helping all students succeed. Differentiation helps you do that!
These Digital Math Games can be used to individually assign games to students based on their needs. Each game covers a different skill so students who need a little extra support with a topic can get it and those who don’t can move one. This reduces frustration with tasks being too easy or too difficult and improves your students’ confidence.
Digital Math Games can help you accomplish the math goals that you have in your classroom all while building teamwork skills, creating consistent routines, providing flexibility in and out of the classroom, and differentiating for all students. And basically, it makes your job a whole lot easier too!