Throw! Shoot! Jump! Catch! Kick! Let the Math Games Begin!
Help me give my students competitive gaming materials to help them work on their socialization skills, leadership skills, focus skills and math skills.
This project is a part of the Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month celebration because
it supports a Latino teacher or a school where the majority of students are Latino.
My Students
I teach students in first, second and third math resource classes. All of my students having various learning challenges that can make learning hard for them including ADD, ADHD, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and Austism. Many times it is difficult for them to stay focused, follow multi-step directions or even work together because of their social skills.
These same students are the most enthusiastic bunch when it comes down to anything competitive.
They take all of that suppressed energy and they bring it full force to math competitions such as flash card wars, Reflex Math games, and Facts Relay.
My students show so much more interest in the lesson when it becomes an activity. They are focused. They learn more. I see them explaining or teaching others that are on their team. They are so happy performing that even when the answers are incorrect they feel like they have accomplished something. They enjoy themselves so much that they actually report back to their parents about the fun they had in Math class and what they learned.
My Project
All of my students have a great deal of physical energy but you would never be able to tell that when they are sitting in their seats during a math lesson. They only seem to perk up or come to life when ask to physically move about, to come to the board, and/or to get into groups, etc.
The same students that seem so low key when working on a lesson are so full of life and enthusiasm when doing things that are competitive in nature.
I would like to use the Basketball shooting Game to have them review Addition/Subtraction and Multiplication facts. The game has a timer and records the number of shots made at that time from two different teams. The teams will only be able to shoot the shot when they answer the math problem correctly. Therefore, at the end of the timed session the team with the most points will be the winners. This will also help them to work on decision making skills as to the order of the teams based on what they know of each other skill set in math. It will help those with socialization issues learn to initiate and sustain conversation with their peers.
Many of the other games will be used in much the same way but will allow for all different physical abilities to be accessed so that the students that are better at throwing, or running, kicking will also feel at advantaged with with their physical skills. The games will be used all together at some point for a big review that will be inclusive of parents. In the pass, allowing for large reviews with my parents included has help me keep the families involved in the learning process.
More than a third of students from low‑income households
Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more
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