Lesson_Evaluation_Maths

During the 20th century mathematics has become one of the most important subjects in the school curriculum, throughout those years there has been many different teaching methods used. One strategy used both in schools and at home is the use of games to support the teaching of numeracy and mathematical strategies. This essay will look at the effectiveness and value of using games to teach numeracy to primary school aged children. It will be supported using further research and investigation. Links to the National Curriculum will be highlighted. The essay will also review a game and reflect on its effectiveness and value in developing mathematical skills. I decided to create a game to support the development of number facts specifically counting. (Appendix A) The game I created was based on the well-known board game Guess Who. It consisted of 8 different monster cards (See Appendix B) all with different amounts of body parts i.e. 2 arms, 3 noses etc. The game is played in pairs and the aim of the game is to guess the monster that your partner has by a matter of elimination. For example child A would ask child B does your monster have 3 arms, child B would then have to count how many arms their monster had and reply accordingly. It is then up to child A to remove all monsters that do not match the answer that child B had given. After this initial interaction it would be the turn of child B to ask the questions until eventually one of the children has only one monster left and if played correctly should be able to name the other child’s monster. They would therefore be classed as the winner and according to Ainley (1988:241) ‘the most effective mathematical games are those in which the structure and rules of the game are based on mathematical ideas, and where winning the game is directly related to understanding this mathematics’. The teaching of mathematics consists of developing number skills, reinforcing those skills and then giving children lots of chance to rehearse. Mathematical games such as monster match provide these opportunities but in a fun and enjoyable way. Booker (1996:1) states that ‘Games are seen to be fun, not only motivating but ensuring full engagement, particularly through reflection and discussion’. Numeracy games can provide much more opportunity for practice than worksheets, tests and workable examples. Playing games in numeracy not only helps develop numeracy skills but can help the child’s social interaction skills such as turn taking and co-operation. The monster match game encourages the development of counting identified objects using one to one correlation up to and including twenty. This game supports one of objectives from the National Curriculum ‘count reliably up to 20 objects at first and recognise that if the objects are rearranged the number stays the same; be familiar with the numbers 11 to 20’ (DfEE, 1999).However the game could also be used to develop other skills such as Space, Shape and measures. For example if you were working on shape recognition you could set questions based around that specific topic e.g. ‘Does your monster have a triangle shaped nose'’ The Monster Match game could easily be adapted to different topics, abilities and interests of your children, too. In order to maintain focus and capture a child’s attention, you could theme the game around a current interest for example the local football team or Bratz dolls. This could be a very useful resource when trying to engage pupils who maybe struggle with attention and concentration particularly those children with special educational needs. It could also be used as a cross curriculum resource where by you could change the monsters to incorporate the kings of England in a history lesson. I asked fellow students to play the monster match game in order to get some feedback (See Appendix C). Their comments included that it was colourful, imaginative and creative. (See Appendix D) They remarked that the children wouldn’t realise that they were actually developing their number fact skills as this was very well disguised in a fun game. As creator of the game, this feature was quite important as I wanted it to be enjoyable and something that the children wanted to take part in as many children switch off their learning when they hear the words ‘Math’s Lesson’. So it is important that those children remain switched on and motivated by mathematics. ‘Many students find math tedious and boring. Using games to teach math generates excitement, making math a fun subject for students’ (Maths Lessons, 2007). The students also gave suggestions for improvement which included producing a set of instructions and although I agree, I didn’t want to formalise the game too much because that can sometimes inhibit the usage. However, a set of low level basic instructions could have been incorporated. Whilst in schools, on placements, the use of games in numeracy is not a strategy I have come across very often, with the exception of those used on the interactive whiteboard. The strategies I have seen have included teacher led sessions with children seated on a carpeted area followed by completion of worksheets in their work areas. Although this is an effective way of teaching I feel that the use of games provide teachers with an inventive and creative resource whereby the children engage in a more practical, hands-on learning experience. This initiative is supported within the breadth of study in the national curriculum for both key stage 1 and 2, it states that pupils should be taught through ‘exploring and using a variety of resources and materials’ (DfEE, 1999). Although I feel that the use of games are an excellent resource there are some professionals who feel that resources such as games have some disadvantages. Swann and Marshall (2009) refer to a study in which some teachers described the use of games as being time fillers and disruptive because children get over excited. I feel therefore that it is necessary to use games appropriately, you cannot teach maths predominantly with the use of games as a pedagogical tool but they can be useful as a supportive resource. During my school placement a target that I would set for myself would be to fully engage in all numeracy lessons, considering when would be appropriate to use games and how these could be incorporated successfully. I would discuss with the children their thoughts and feelings regarding using games and ensure that when games are used that a balance is reached between the children having fun and learning objectives being met. Appendix A Appendix B Appendix C Appendix D Reference List * Ainley, J. (1988) ‘Playing games and real mathematics’ In: Pimm, D (ed) Mathematics, Teachers and Children. London: Hodder and Stoughton. p.241 * Booker, G. (1996). ‘Instructional games in the teaching and learning of mathematics’ In: Forgasz, H., Jones, T.,Leder, G., Lynch, J., Maguire, K. & Pearn, C. (eds.) Mathematics: Making connections. Melbourne: The Mathematical Association of Victoria. p.1. * Department for Education and Employment. (1999) The National  Curriculum handbook for primary teachers in England key stages 1 and  2. London: http://curriculum.qcda.gov.uk/key-stages-1-and-2/subjects/mathematics/index.aspx [accessed 10 January 2011]. * Maths Lesson (2007) Using Games to Teach Math http://www.mathlessons.ca/blog/2007/12/14/using- games-to-teach-math/ Friday 14 December 2007 [accessed 10 January 2011]. * Swan, P. and Marshall, L. (2009) Mathematics Games as a Pedagogical Tools. Perth, Australia: ECU. pp. 1 – 5. Appendices Appendix A Game design Page 4 Appendix B Photograph of Monster Match Game Page 4 Appendix C Feedback Comments Page 5 Appendix C Photographs of my children playing the game Page 5