“What is the most useful game you’ve ever played with your students?”
If I had $20 to spend on games, the commercial game I would select is the card game called the 24 Game. [www.24game.com]
Created in 1988 by Robert Sun, it has engaged and fascinated every student I’ve ever had. The game has evolved into nine different versions. The single-digit version of the 24 Game has four numbers when added, subtracted, multiplied, or divided will equal 24. There’s always more than one way to find the answer for each card.
My favorite story about using the 24 Game comes from my experience as a self-contained 4th grade teacher. One day my class had a visitor from the superintendent’s office. She passed by the Games Station and watched as students gazed intently at the one-dot card. The students were excited and boisterous when they discovered the answer. She leaned down and asked one student if “all they ever did in class was play.” The leader of the group looked up and said, “Yes, we do have fun and play in our class, but we learn at the same time. In fact, when we play the 24 Game, we’re practicing computational proficiency, mental math, order of operation, and algebraic reasoning. Would you like to try it?”
I couldn’t have said it better myself and have recommended that everyone try the 24 Game and watch what happens with their students!
“What is the most useful game you’ve ever played with your students?”
If I had $20 to spend on games, the commercial game I would select is the card game called the 24 Game. [www.24game.com]
Created in 1988 by Robert Sun, it has engaged and fascinated every student I’ve ever had. The game has evolved into nine different versions. The single-digit version of the 24 Game has four numbers when added, subtracted, multiplied, or divided will equal 24. There’s always more than one way to find the answer for each card.
My favorite illustration about the effectiveness of using the 24 Game comes from my experience as a self-contained 4th grade teacher. One day my class had a visitor from the superintendent’s office. She passed by the Games Station and watched as students gazed intently at the one-dot card. The students were excited and boisterous when they discovered the answer. She leaned down and asked one student if “all they ever did in class was play.” The leader of the group looked up and said, “Yes, we do have fun and play in our class, but we learn at the same time. In fact, when we play the 24 Game, we’re practicing computational proficiency, mental math, order of operation, and algebraic reasoning. Would you like to try it?”
I couldn’t have said it better myself and have recommended that everyone try the 24 Game and watch what happens with their students!