Using games in the classroom

When planning a game, always start with the learning goal. What do you want students to be able to understand and do as a result of this activity? From there it will be clear which type of game will be best to meet your learning goals. Be sure to explicitly link the work they did during game play to their overall learning goals. Ask them to connect what they did in the game to previous learning. Help them see how they are closer to their goals of mastery after their efforts during the game.

A quick exit ticket or class discussion for closure can easily accomplish this goal. Even while playing games can, and should, be super fun, how do we make sure that all students are getting a good learning opportunity? Something as simple as using a record sheet when playing games gives you as a teacher an invaluable artifact. It sends a message to all students that they have a job to do while playing the game, increasing on-task behavior.

But more importantly, at the end of the game you have a low stress formative assessment which can give you great information about any misconceptions students may have, or if there are individual students who need more practice. Below is a simple game card I used in my math class for each student. While we played the whole class game, students did their work on this page, circled their response, and kept track of their points as we played. Each ghost figure corresponded to a different question, as they appeared in a random order during the game.

This scorecard has been a simple yet powerful tool in maximizing the learning of students as we have a little fun with games! How do you use games in the classroom? What tricks of the trade help you and your students learning while having fun? Also find us on Pinterest and Instagram for more ideas!

Do mix up the types of questions asked Playing games provides a great opportunity to mix things up and ask questions outside the typical multiple choice format. Here are some other options of question types to ask: Put items in order of importance, of value, or chronological order Use manipulatives- Have students plot on a number line, show on a graph, use a number chart or place value manipulative, letter tiles, white boards, etc.

Sort into categories Inject an element of chance. A game will often result in the making of generalised statements Not all games have this potential, but many do. For example when playing Quadrilateral Sets I was intrigued to be told by one of the players that he would not give this property to square because 'square has such a lot of properties'.

A game can allow the introduction of ideas that are difficult to develop in other ways. In particular within these games it is the skill of understanding a diagram and visualising its properties and relationships.

For example since shapes are shown in different orientations on the cards and the cards are inevitably being viewed from different angles, a lot of work can be done on recognising for example, a square whichever way up it is.

Other forms of visualisation such as congruence and the angle in the same segment are also included within the games. Games seem to be able to lead pupils to work above their normal level A game does not define the academic limits of the work in any way and since there is a natural wish to win, pupils will often devise ways of looking at the work they are doing which lead them way beyond what they are expected to achieve.

The game situation appears to free the pupils from feeling a need to do something which the teacher wants and expects, thus allowing them to think freely about the situation. A game leads pupils to talk mathematics I cannot prove that this is important but I came to believe that the need to talk about and justify one's moves leads pupils to talk about the properties of shapes far more than they would in completing a conventional exercise.

One does not normally talk out loud about the properties of the shapes involved if they are in an exercise! This process was helped considerably by asking pairs of pupils to work together as a single player.

This I would also strongly recommend because A game can create discussion of all kinds This is greatly enhanced by the pairing technique described above, because the partners have to verbalise their ideas about the next move to each other and justify their opinions.

This not only helps them, but can be very informative for a passing teacher who can eavesdrop and assess where they have got to in their thinking. Co-operative games can be very useful in creating discussion too. The provision of shapes and properties on cards means that they can be worked on mentally rather than on paper.

This must be a great relief to those whose drawing skills are limited! A game does not define the way in which a problem is to be solved or worked out For example when a class is trying to guess which shape has been chosen in 'Shape Guess' the way in which they pose questions is for them to work out.

In a property sorting game there is no laid down strategy for getting the properties and shapes to match. A game often can be played at more then one level As a result of the previous property of games, it is possible for the players to play the game with more or less skill or perception depending on their own competence.

They will often learn to develop their level of play by watching and listening to the other players. This last set of outcomes were the ones of which I only gradually became aware and which I see as of particular interest because so many of them are concerned with the players' feelings about what is happening. It is acceptable to learn the rules of a game gradually No-one expects to be able to learn all the rules of a game at once. Pupils do not seem to distinguish between the procedural rules and the mathematical rules.

This allows pupils to query the mathematical rules without loss of face. Consider asking your students what they thought about the game, as their feedback is extremely valuable.

After playing the game a few times, you may start falling into a rhythm and seeing more student success. In fact, there are many reasons why you should use games in your classroom, including:. Some students can get stressed when working on worksheets, listening to lectures or taking exams.

All of these tools play important roles in the classroom. Games provide students a positive break from stressful learning.

Games can promote positivity, gratitude and improved self-esteem — which lessens stress levels and creates a positive perception of learning. They can be equally as beneficial as worksheets, lectures and exams.

Games allow students to demonstrate their understanding of a topic, just in a different format. They require students to remember details, use their memory to recall lectures and think and act quickly. Brain games — that is, games that cause you to think — are mentally stimulating and help sharpen processing speed , decision making, short-term memory and planning skills. School-aged kids are learning many skills , including:. Games help students tap into and develop these skills.

Different games benefit students in different ways. For example, group-based games, like Jeopardy, allow students to work on peer interaction. Educational games are versatile to your classroom. Some examples of games to play in class with your students are:. Students can stay in their seats and view the game on the screen projector. You can find a Jeopardy template online that can make preparation easier. The template includes five topics and five questions per topic. Each question has a point value from to , with the highest point value being the hardest question to answer.

Divide your classroom into teams — three is ideal, but you can adjust depending on your class size. Display the Jeopardy board on your screen projector. Choose a starting team and allow them to pick a topic and question difficulty. Click the corresponding question and read it aloud. Give your students 30 seconds to answer the question. Then, pass the question to the next team. If they get it correct, add the points to their score. The team with the highest score at the end wins. Bingo is a single-player game that encourages students to think fast.

Preparation for Bingo involves creating individual boards with different or rearranged content. Bingo boards are five-by-five boards with 25 different slots. Each slot should hold a number, word or image that corresponds with your learning concept.

The middle spot is usually a free space. Students win by completing a five-slot vertical, horizontal or diagonal line.

Reward students with incentives like candy, bonus points or other meaningful prizes when they win. Headbands is a game requiring students to work with peers and use their critical thinking skills. Instruct students not to look at their sticky notes. This game is best for older students, because younger students may be tempted to look.

Though headbands is a single-player game, players rely on their peers to solve their sticky notes. Students walk around the classroom and talk to other students, where both students provide keywords to help identify the vocabulary words on their sticky notes. For example, say your class is learning about U. Keep playing until the last person identifies their vocabulary word. Thumb Ball is a fun group-based game that takes as little as 15 minutes to play.