Learning Math Through Games

Sep 5, 2016 | 1 Votes by shilpa 10 rate
Math is considered one of the most "hated" subjects among kids... and the best way to reverse this effect? That's right! By learning math through games. Games Educate Kids - Learning Math Through Games

People love to play games, no matter what their age is. Games improve concentration, decision making ability, problem solving ability and imagination. However, games are not bound to the genre of shooting or slashing or puzzles.

There are numerous amounts of games that are dedicated to improving the math concepts of young ones through a variety of puzzles and questions. Math based games give students an insight into the working of number systems, make them learn one-to-one correspondence and numerical strategies. Other mathematical concepts for kids to learn are number series, patterns and number combinations.

Moreover, these games give an exposure to the students in an environment where they can test their math ability to solve complex problems which deepen their mathematical understanding and reasoning. Many schools are opting towards providing a video game based homework, for example a home work of completing a certain level. Some schools are even using augmented reality for teaching improving the math ability of students in leaps and bounds, while some schools are using math based games during school hours for students to quickly grasp a topic.

There are a number of other advantages of mathematics based games as well. Some of these are:

  • Help improve strategic understanding of number systems and use them to solve questions.

  • Practise makes perfect and therefore these games, when played repeatedly help students gain computational fluency.

  • There can only be a handful of questions in a book, but for a game, it is full of exploration and therefore questions generated can be as much as the developer wants. With so many different questions to solve, it broadens the genius of the students.

  • If you are a parent and your constant thought is how much your child is growing when it comes to mathematical ability, there are certain games that allow you to test it. A parent can play with their children and learn about their mathematical thinking.

  • Some students are good with numbers, but have a hard time in understanding the various kinds of operations. These games help students in visualizing these operations and provide situations where students can use a particular operation to solve a task.


  • Why are math games better in developing a child’s mathematical ability?


    Math games are responsible for a quick jump up of the mathematical skills of a student. However, the success of math games lie in its level design and its approach, which isn't traditional, hence improves the student in leaps and bounds.

    Meaningful Situations and Immersive Game Environment
    This means that the creator of the games have designed it in such a way that helps a student in developing his skills by providing inputs that might solve a complicated problems. To make this more effective, computer games contain characters that children start caring about and also an immersive environment where their imagination can run wild.

    Blast Off: Gameplay


    Motivation and Attitude
    Games provide great motivation as students have the choice participate in games or be a sideline audience. A visually compelling game with lots of characters and missions would make any sideline audience want to try their hand out at gaming. Moreover, computer games and normal games in general come with a positive attitude, which means that the child does not give up after a round of failure. These games encourage learning through trial and error.

    Varied Levels of Difficulty
    What makes math games interesting is their varied levels of difficulty. Traditionally, math games become harder as you go up a level, however, the recent approach is to have a mix of difficulty levels in a single stage, this builds up confidence levels as the child goes from one difficult task to the next slightly more difficult task. These different levels also play a part in their thinking process, which means different levels welcome different paths of thinking from the students.

    Easy Assessments
    Results are easy to calculate and progress can be easily viewed for kids to see how much they have grown while playing a game. For more complicated games, it is the teacher who helps in providing a definite assessment of the students and decides which student is lacking and in what topic.

    What are some of these math based games?


    While there are numerous math-based games on the market, here are a select few which we would like to recommend:

    1. Herotopia: Become a hero and solve the most complicated problems.
    2. Blast Off: Help good aliens get back home by playing this math based game where you can participate with your child to fill up fuel gauges of an alien ship to help them reach their home.
    3. BrainNook: This game is for children who want to develop their math and language skills.
    4. Code Breaker: Using logic and mathematical strategies, your child would be able to help the characters get back into their hideout.
    5. Secret Builders: Solve quests, take on challenges in this fun filled math, logic and puzzle based game for your child.

    Games educate kids, there is no denying that, and while people might say that it damages children, evidence shows otherwise. Let your kid improve their math or even enhance their love for math by playing math-based games!

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