Reflection on Math Games and Common Core Standards

Reflection on Math Games and Common Core Standards
Your Name
Subject and Section
Date
The mathematics core standards provide both the teachers and the student the necessary set of goals that should be achieved. These standards gradually develop a student's mathematical proficiency, including the conceptual understanding, procedural fluency and application, as they move on to the next grade level (Mathematics: Massachusetts Curriculum Framework, 2017). Although the mathematics core standards provide the students the necessary expectations about the skills that are needed to be learned, games that engages the student’s willingness to increase their active learning process in math should be used in order for the students, especially kindergarten to grade 3, to appreciate the applications of the core standards in an interesting and motivating way. In this paper, I will critically reflect on five games that I have come up with for a Math Night and integrated them with the Mathematics Common Core Standards. These games are great for kindergarten to grade 3 students, which includes the 3D Shape with Play-Doh, Cootie Catcher, I Have Who Has, caterpillar game, and the 24-point game.
3D Shape with Play Doh
In the geometry aspect of the math curriculum framework (2017), kindergarten students are expected to learn how to identify and describe shapes; and also, learn how to analyze, compare, create, and compose shapes (K.G Common Core, 2017). On the other hand, grade 1 students are expected to learn how to reason with shapes (1.G Common Core, 2017). The first game that I have is the 3D play doh shapes. I found this game perfect for practicing and enforcing the math fluency in the geometry aspect of the core standards of kindergarten and grade1 students since the game deals with the recognition and analysis of shapes. Additionally, the children can relate the concepts of geometry with their experiences since the game integrates common everyday objects to further appreciate math. In the first part of the game, children were asked to name some shapes in the room, then, they will build those shapes using the Play-Doh. Afterwards, a child will be asked to explain his/her creation with objective questions such as “How may edges do you see?”, “How many vertices do you see?”, and “How many faces do you see?” With this game, the children will identify and describe the shapes to familiarize the overall orientation of different shapes. The students can show the degree of their understanding in the resulting clay products since they will be using the attributes of the shape and compose those shapes using the play doh.
Cootie Catcher
In the operations and algebraic thinking aspect of the math curriculum framework (2017), kindergarten students are expected to understand the basic concepts of addition, which is putting together, and subtraction, which is taking apart/from (K.OA Common Core, 2017). On the other hand, grade 1 students are expected to understand, relate and apply properties of addition and subtraction in solving algebraic problems with numbers within 20 (1.OA Common Core, 2017). The second game that I have is the Cootie Catcher. I found this game perfect for practicing basic operations and algebraic aspect of the core standards of kindergarten and grade 1 students since the game deals with solving basic math problems using addition and subtraction. In the game, basic addition or subtraction problems are written on the flaps of the cootie catcher. Student one will hold the Cootie Catcher to simultaneously alternate the opening and closing of the flaps depending on the number that was chosen by student two. The student holding the cootie catcher will count out the number while moving the cootie catcher until it reached the desired number that was written on the flap and open the inner section to show the problem to student two. Student two will say out loud the problem and answer it. With this game the students will learn basic concepts of addition and subtraction in problem solving. Additionally, this game promotes the mental strategies in demonstrating the concepts of addition and subtraction that is perfect for strengthening the mathematical fluency of the students.
I have, Who Has
In the numbers and operations in base ten aspect of the...