Well Played, Grades 3-5: Building Mathematical Thinking Through Number Games and Puzzles - Softcover

Dacey, Linda; Gartland, Karen; Bamford Lynch, Jayne; Bamford-Lynch, Jayne

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1625310323 ISBN 13: 9781625310323

Publisher: Routledge, 2015

Synopsis

Well Played: Building Mathematical Thinking Through Number Games and Puzzles, Grades 3–5
 
“This is a book full of thoughtful and well-chosen games and puzzles, but it is also a book that offers a lens into how we might include this kind of play in our own classrooms in ways that are deeply meaningful and engaging for our students. It is a book truly rooted in the realities and possibilities of the classroom, which is what makes it such a valuable resource for teachers.” – Kassia Omohundro Wedekind, from the foreword
 
 
Students love math games and puzzles, but how much are they really learning from the experience? Too often, math games are thought of as just a fun activity or enrichment opportunity. Well Played shows you how to make games and puzzles an integral learning component that provides teachers with unique access to student thinking.
 
The twenty-five games and puzzles in Well Played, which have all been field-tested in diverse classrooms, contain:
·         explanations of the mathematical importance of each game or puzzle and how it supports student learning;
·         variations for each game or puzzle to address a range of learning levels and styles;
·         clear step-by-step directions; and
·         classroom vignettes that model how best to introduce the featured game or puzzle. 
 
The book also includes a separate chapter with suggestions for how to effectively manage games and puzzles in diverse classrooms; reproducibles that provide directions, game boards, game cards, and puzzles; assessment ideas; and suggestions for online games, puzzles, and apps.
 
Well Played will help you tap the power of games and puzzles to engage students in sustained and productive mathematical thinking.  

About this title

About the Author:

Linda Dacey, professor of mathematics and education at Lesley University, began her career teaching at the elementary level and early in her career, received an NSF grant to develop a model program for preparing middle school teachers. She works with pre-service and in-service teachers, helping them to develop both their content knowledge and their practice. Her commitment to the quality of mathematics education was noted when she was inducted into the Massachusetts Mathematics Educators Hall of Fame. She is a reviewer for NCTM's Teaching Children Mathematics, was guest editor for the recent issue of the New England Mathematics Journal's issue on equity, and a prolific writer of books and resource materials for both teachers and writers. Her research focuses on problem solving, number sense, and strategies for differentiation.

Karen Gartland is a mathematics coordinator and classroom teacher at Groton-Dunstable Middle School. She enjoys working with students of all ages with a focus on conceptual understanding of mathematics through critical thinking and application as well as best practices for integrating technology. Karen is also an adjunct faculty member at Lesley University.

Jayne Bamford Lynch is a district math instructional coach in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where she spends most of her days in elementary classrooms supporting coaches, teachers, and students. Jayne presents workshops for teachers, administrators, and parents on a multitude of topics and is also a National Faculty member of the School of Education at Lesley University.

Review:

The authors created this easy-to-use book with a goal of increasing the potential of games and puzzles to deepen students’ conceptual learning and computational fluency (p. 2). The target audience is teachers of grades 3–5; the targeted skills and concepts are appropriate for students at these grade levels.
                Well Played for grades 3–5 has chapters with games and puzzles addressing the mathematical concepts of base-ten numeration; addition and subtraction; multiplication and division; mixed operations; and fractions. Each chapter includes five games or puzzles and a section of online games and apps that address the concept. For each game or puzzle, authors Dacey, Gartland, and Lynch explain why it has been included, how to play the game, how it looks in a classroom setting, teacher look-fors, variations of the game, exit card ideas, and extension
activities. The appendix includes all game boards and additional materials required to play the games.
                As a math coach, my favorite chapter is entitled, “Supporting Learning through Games and Puzzles.” It explores how to use games and puzzles in the classroom and offers excellent suggestions for both beginning and experienced teachers on topics from teaching game etiquette to setting goals and assessing learning, fostering productive discussions, and organizing games in the classroom.
                Although several of the games in this book are variations on old favorites, many are new. The inclusion of the mathematics behind the games, the exit cards, and the ideas for variations make this a book that I am sure I will use repeatedly and will recommend to classroom teachers.
—Amy Henderson, Harrisonburg City Schools, Virginia.
 

About this edition

• Publisher: Routledge
• Publication date: 2015
• ISBN 10: 1625310323
• ISBN 13: 9781625310323
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 232