Summer games are an inexpensive, effective way to promote children’s learning

From Examiner.com:

Robert S. Siegler and Geetha B. Ramai (The Department of Psychology, Carnegie Mellon University, USA) published a special section: The Development Of Mathematical Cognition. In their work they state that “playing linear numerical board games promotes children’s numerical development.”

 

The study sites a group of children who played a simple number board game over two weeks showed significant improvement in counting, numeral recognition, and value estimation compared to children who played a different, non-numeral based game.

 

Fine tuning old standard games can be an inexpensive and effective way to promote your child’s learning this summer. The slide-show gives one example of taking an old standard game, Tic-Tac-Toe-a non-numeral-based game- and ratcheting it up, simply by replacing the X’s and O’s with numbers.

 

For Nintendo Fans check out brainage.com for information on Brain Age2; it is designed for the Nintendo DS handheld video game system, inspired by research into brain functions. Brain Age challenges players with simple math problems, scrambled words, and counting currency…I suggest it because it is very interactive software.

 

Make sure your little baseball fan is keeping statistics on their favorite player, or team; Let them be your “go to” person for current total of hits and runs.

 

Finally, remember all those board games, maybe you can borrow a few from Grandma’s closet!

Have Fun,

R.R.Cratty