Skills- learning games use elements of game play to involve students in learning academic material.
Math teaching Games provide students in addition, subtraction, multiplication, division as well as teaching fact families and mental facts.
The advantages of these games it has the students focus on high score point totals while practicing math skills with out the student realizing they are gain new knowledge.
Others say that the student don't get the joy out of learning because they are to busy worried about just the points. They feel that the mathematical thinking, problem solving is missing from the activity. The game teaches skills but not the intellectual frameworks for connecting and applying those skill's in solving problems.
I feel that sometimes a student needs away to make them want to learn, and if interacting with a math games is what it takes then let them play it. I feel that as long as they are grasping some steps that its better than none at all.
What is your thought about using math games ? Do you think it doesn't apply skills for solving problems?
In a classroom setting I think a majority of the time should be spent on learning the framework for math especially problem solving skills. I see nothing wrong in using math games but that shouldn't be the main way we teach math. I think it's a good idea to mix things up to keep kids interested.
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