Math facts
Multiplication/ Division Facts (Can be modified)
Krypto
Krypto is an interesting game because it really gives students a way to practice addition/subtraction as well as multiplication/division. The idea is to use a standard card deck minus all face cards and jokers. Each player is then dealt five cards and the class as a whole is given a target number between 10-20. Players must perform any operation using their cards to equal the target number. Each card can be used only once, and points are awarded based on the number of cards used. Three cards results in two hundred points, four in three hundred, and all five in four hundred. The first player to a predetermined point wins (usually one thousand points). This game encourages problem solving and multiple operations, such as a hand with a 4, 7, 1, 3, and 9 with a target of 12, a good play would be 9-7 x 4 + 3 + 1 = 12, using all cards for a score of 400 points.
Number Clumping
This simple game was intended to give students practice with adding common numbers resulting from multiplying a single digit number and a two digit number. For example the product of 4 x 13 is 52, but since multiplication above 12 is often difficult for students a valid strategy is to multiply the 10 and the 4 giving 40, then multiply the 3 and the 4 giving 12. Adding these two together results in the answer of 52. To help students practice this skill, I developed a game which had the students in a circle. Using a soft ball, students would call out a number between 1-99 and toss the ball, the student catching the ball would then add the number to a multiple of ten that I would have placed on the board. For example, student A calls out 42 and toss the ball to student B, who adds 42 to the 60 I have written on the board and calls out 102, then has the opportunity to call out a new number before tossing the ball again. This activity enabled kinesthetic learners to actively practice basic math with the goal of enabling faster and more confident multiplication of 1 and 2 digit numbers.
MAth Bingo
Although this is a very simple method of getting students to practice their multiplication facts, it is definitely an effective one as they have to quickly do the mental math in order to be successful. Teachers can make up BINGO cards for a certain family (e.g. 5s, 7s, etc.) or for a larger variety. BINGO is also very adaptable to do with addition facts, subtraction facts, and division facts as well.
Math Facts "Cootie Catcher"
A great, interactive way for the kids to practice their hardest math facts is to practice them by using a cootie catcher such as this template. The kids can color and fold the cootie catcher, and then physically move the device while questioning themselves or their friends about the hardest of the math facts.
Math memory
Another simple yet effective way for kids to practice their facts (especially if there is one family such as the 7s or 8s that they are struggling with) is to have them make a deck of 'memory cards' . The student would create a deck of cards by writing a math fact (e.g. 3x7) on one card, and the answer (21) on a different card. They would do this for as many facts as needed, and then spread the cards out in rows and columns face down, and drawn repeatedly with the intent of trying to find the 'matches'. This game is great because the kids will ultimately be doing the mental math for every single card that they flip over, and so will their partner if they are playing in pairs! The kids also have to focus on remembering where cards were placed, and have to consider the fact that some answer cards might have more than one fact that could equal a product! This game is great because the kids will simultaneously be doing division facts every time the draw a "product" card first, but they don't even realize that they are doing it!
Buzz
BUZZ is an 'around-the-world' style game that practices multiples of a pre-determined number. The class goes from student-to-student in a rotation, counting numbers aloud until a student reaches one of the multiples that is needed for that round. Instead of saying the number, students who would be saying a multiple say the word 'BUZZ' instead, and the next student in line must pay attention and continue on with the preceding number in order to avoid elimination. For example if the teacher decides that the class is practicing multiples of 3, the counting from kid to kid should be 1, 2, BUZZ, 4, 5, BUZZ, etc. until someone messes up, at which point they can be eliminated if the teacher chooses to do so, and then the game can either continue or reset back to zero. If the teacher needs to mix things up (for example if it is down to the final 3 students during multiples of 3 and so therefore one student just keeps saying BUZZ) then the teacher can choose to say that any number that also includes the multiple's numeral in it also must be buzzed! I.e., in the example above with multiples of 3, the numbers 13, 23, 30, and all of the 30s could also become BUZZ numbers for containing the number 3 in them just to ensure that kids are listening closely! Once the kids have caught on to the game, it is a really simple game to execute and works well as a quick sponge or time-filler if the teacher needs to keep the kids focused during a transition time.
"I have... who has?"
"I have, who has" is a game that includes the whole class at once, and can be used to practice a wide variety of multiplication facts at once. It is also a game that reinforces students to listen carefully during the rounds so that they can hear what their classmates are saying. In this game, each student in the class has been given a card that has a product on it, followed by a new equation. The whole class circles around reading off their cards when someone declares a multiplication question which fits with the answer that they have on their card. This game is good because students will mentally be doing the math in their head every time someone says "Who has ____" because they will want to double-check if it is their turn yet. The website mathwire.com has many pre-made decks of cards that teachers can print which have been monitored closely to ensure that no repeat math facts have been written that would interrupt the continuous flow of the game. Below are some pictures that show examples of some pre-written cards.
(The following games have been photocopied from a booklet we received while at a PD session entitled "Math Games for Supporting Basic Math Facts)
Addition and Subtraction Math Facts
(Photocopied from a booklet we received while at a PD session entitled "Math Games for Supporting Basic Math Facts)