Put down the flashcards you’ve been waving in front of your preschooler’s face. A new study shows that playing board games like Chutes and Ladders and Hi-Ho Cheerio can turn your child into a math whiz.
According to research published in the March-April issue of the journal Child Development, number-based board games where kids roll a dice or flick a spinner and then move spaces help develop number skills necessary to do well in math classes.
Kids in the study who played board games four times for 15 to 20 minutes over a two-week period could better identify and count numbers and knew which numbers had a greater value.
It’s welcome news that all those hours spend sprawled on the living room rug playing Candyland and Chutes and Ladders weren’t for naught. I had thought the only reason real little kids played board games was to learn how to cheat.
Karina Bland is raising her 9-year-old son in Tempe with a lot of love, humor and support from her friends and family. A longtime journalist covering child welfare and education issues for The Arizona Republic, she blogs about raising good kids.
It's kind of ironic because
It's kind of ironic because at my daughters kindergarten orientation not too long ago the kindergarten teachers specifically said not use the flashcards or those books that they sell that supposidly help teach early learning like math, phonix, etc.
I can tell you when I was
I can tell you when I was learning math when I was younger that I actually developed a math phobia. I would freeze up, and my brain would totally not work when asked a question. Then if I obviously would get it wrong I would be devistated. Math was super hard for me. Funny story the light bulb actually finally clicked on in college. I was simply amazed.
Lisa - Mom to her spunky little Scarlette
I never used flash cards
I never used flash cards with my son, but did with my daughter but only for sight words (and it worked ok). We always did the 1 + 1 is 2, 2 +1 is 3 clapping game (probably no one has a clue what I'm talking about). It was more fun and studies show the best way to memorize is to say and hear it not look at it. To this day my daughter will sit with me and say "mom, let's play the math game and I'll start." Only now a days it's filled with 1 X 1 is 1.
"It's not to late to become who you've always wanted to be..."
That makes sense. We use to
That makes sense. We use to play High Ho Cherrio all the time with our oldest and she's good at numbers. Lacks confidence sometimes, but does well. My youngest, I think is doing fine, but I know we did not play much of those games when she got older. We seemed to have burned out.....I will get my oldest to play with her - I am assuming that is ok? Time to go burn the flash cards...... :)
KarilouMomof2 is a discussion leader for arizonamoms.com living in Tempe. Her daughters are 9 and 6.
Yahtzee. Players not only
Yahtzee. Players not only count, but they also have to evaluate the numbers on the dice.