Can Moms use Monopoly to teach Math?

Playing games?

Any game can reinforce a math concept. If it’s a game in which you roll the dice, your children are adding to determine their “total roll.” They are recognizing sets if they can stare at one die and see that it depicts a value of 6 or 2. If they have to move a game piece after rolling, they are counting and checking the results of their addition. The more games they play, the more likely they will develop the skill of “skip counting,” because eventually a child will figure out how not to count every square. For example, our guys have figured out that Monopoly is spaced in 10s, so if they roll a 10 they just jump to the corresponding square on the next side of the board.

Playing games?

In years past, we’ve made our own games too. Quite often we’ve made games as part of a history unit. Two that come to mind are Nine Men’s Morris and Senet. We used math skills with these games when we counted spaces as we moved on the board or made decisions about strategy (critical thinking). But we’ve made up numerous games to reinforce a particular math concept. If you spend a little time researching games on the Internet you can find a myriad of ideas. Many of the games we’ve “made” simply used a pair of dice or a deck of cards, along with a notepad and pen. Do an Internet search on a math concept with the word game behind it and see what you find. If you do find a board game that you would like to make, use an old board from a game you’ve lost all the pieces to, or an old game you found in the 25-cent bin at the thrift store.

Playing games?

Do you need to reinforce multiplication? Have your child multiply the amounts on the two dice instead of adding. Need to subtract? Then subtract the amounts on the dice. Need help determining greater than or less than? Roll the dice and make your child move the greater number, or have the child roll the dice and divide the larger by the smaller and tell you the remainder. If he gets it right, he can move the number in the remainder. Are you getting this? You can make a game to fit your needs.

Ah, but what about the upper math concepts? Well, beginning algebra is a piece of cake. Want to learn about graphing coordinates? Play Battleship. Truly, if you think about it, all board games in which you roll dice or draw a card will teach basic algebra. When it’s your child’s turn, ask him, “Where do you want to land on this turn?” Then say, “Okay, what would you need to roll or draw to get there?” Your child has just solved a problem in which the variable is the number of spaces he needs to get to a given destination! That’s basic algebra.

Playing games?

Now, truthfully, I don’t know that any of the games in my closet will reinforce any math courses beyond basic algebra, but I’m sure if you’re in a pinch, you’ll find games for sale that teach or reinforce a variety of higher math concepts. We have a card game that focuses on algebraic equations, so they do exist.

I must issue a warning: games are addicting! You will end up with more games than you can fit in a closet. You will search out games at thrift stores and yard sales. You will dig through your mother’s basement to find the game you played as a child that you know your son or daughter will love. You will seek out games wherever you go. So, go clean out a closet and get started. Declare today a game day!

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Lori Lynn Lydell lives with her husband and two sons in rural Central Pennsylvania. When not homeschooling the boys or working for TOS as the Assistant to the Director of Operations, she enjoys knitting and crochet, playing the piano, cooking, and reading. You can find her talking about her adventures at http://www.lorilynn.org/.

Copyright 2012, used with permission. All rights reserved by author. Originally appeared in the January 2012 issue of The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, the trade magazine for homeschool families. Read the magazine free by clicking here or read it on the go and download the free apps to read the magazine on your mobile devices by clicking here.