GAME DAY- Dice Operations

This "game" can be used to help kids practice math operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division). Kids roll dice and then complete the operation with the 2 digits showing. Essentially, you can add just about any twist to this activity:
Give your child 2 dice and you have 2 dice. You both roll, complete the operation, and the person with the largest number gets a point.
Give your child 2 dice, roll, complete operation, and you they get that many points. For instance, they roll a 6 and 4. If they are working on multiplication they multiply the factors to get the product, 24. On their next round they add the next product to 24 and keep going until they get to 100. If you are doing subtraction or division have them start with 100 and subtract until they get to zero.
Give your child 4 dice. Have them roll, add 2 of the dice and then the other 2. For example, thy roll 7,3,4,1. Add 7 and 3 to get 10. Add 4 and 1 to get 5. Their numbers are now 10 and 5, which they will then add, subtract, multiply, or divide.

Dice are great ways to get kids excited about working on math! They are great for emerging learners because kids can use the dots on the dice to help them count. Also, when your little learners want to play with their big brother or sister give them dice and have them identify the numbers. They can also roll 2 dice and identify the bigger/smaller number.

Always encourage your child to make up their own game for practicing their math operations! You will be surprised at what they come up with. :)

GAME DAY- Deck of Cards

When you tell kids they are playing a "game" it changes everything. I love seeing how much fun kids can have while playing and learning at the same time. I think many of us think that we need to go out and spend a lot of money on games and workbooks, in order to reinforce our child's learning at home. I am going to dedicate one day a week to a GAME DAY post where I will offer simple ways to reinforce learning at home. 

I am sure most of you have a deck of cards at home. There are so many great learning opportunities with a simple deck of cards, and they are easy to take on the road with you for when traveling becomes a little restless. I would love to here about ways that you and your kids use a deck a cards to play and learn at the same time. 

These ideas can easily be modified to fit your child's academic level. 

**Start by taking out the jacks, queens, kings, and jokers. 

1. War (or you can call it another name) :) split the cards among players, everyone flips over a card, the person with the highest card wins and collects all the cards played in that round *greater than/less than

2. Turn over 2 cards- add, subtract, or multiply the cards, the person who has the highest sum, difference, or product wins the cards in that round *addition, subtraction, multiplication

3. Deal the cards into 4 piles (face down), turn over the top card on each pile, try to pick up the cards that when added together make 10 *addition, sums of 10

4. Turn over cards and have child identify the number, you can then ask what comes before, what comes next *number recognition

5. Turn over between 2 and 9 cards (depending on their level) and have them say or write the number in standard form, word form, or expanded form *place value

                  Example- turn over 3 cards- numbers 6,5,4 -- That number in standard form would be 654, in word from "six hundred fifty-four", and in expanded form 600 + 50 + 4

                  You can then work with your child to determine the "value" of each number. 

Let me know if you need more ideas for your deck of cards GAMES! :) Have FUN!!!