Math Games: Presto-Change-O

For this math game, each person gets an amount of Unifix cubes -color doesn't matter. We chose 8. One person is the "caller" and determines the amount of stacks and how many are in each stack.

"Put two stacks of three on your workspace."
"Now I want three stacks of two."
"One stack of five."
"Five stacks of one."

I wrote on the board the numerals of each of the problems. This was helpful so that if they forget what was requested, they could refer to the board and they also got an added reinforcement of the connections between symbol and amounts. After they were finished each round, I added the symbols "x" and "=" to the numbers on the board along with the answers or the total amounts. My fourth student discovered the pattern quickly and just rearranged the cubes on his workspace, but my fifth student cleared his workspace between each problem. My third student already knew the answers and quickly rearranged his cubes and sat back, waiting for the others to discover the answers. This is an opportunity to do as Miss Mason suggests and let the child discover these concepts on his own, at his own pace. Do not try to teach it, let them discover for themselves when they are ready. My only role is to teach how to play the games, then they choose to continue to play these games throughout the week as they wish, learning at their own pace. I step back and let them make their own discoveries.

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