Chinese New Year has just passed and I was reminded of the card games I used to play during Chinese New Year when I was young, and when it was still fashionable. I reckoned since then that being good with numbers does give one a better chance at winning some card games.
Here's a simple card game that I have developed:
2 ~ 3 players
1. Twenty cards - comprising Ace to 10 of two different suites.
2. Shuffle and place cards face down.
3. Start by flipping two cards - if they add up to ten, the player gets to keep the cards, if not, place the cards face down again.
4. Each player takes turn to flip the cards till there are no more possibilities of making 10.
5. Player with the most number of cards win.
Variation
1. Increase to 30 cards
2. Players can flip 2 or 3 cards that add up to ten, twenty or thirty.
Mathematics in the Game
Retention ~ first and foremost, a player with better retention will have a better chance at winning the game. This condition will urge players to try harder at remembering the positions of cards face down. Fluency in recalling mathematical facts and performing skills is an important aspect of mathematical learning as children will need to remember symbols, rules, conversions, algorithms, formulas etc to do well in maths.
Number Bonds ~ players who know their number bonds well will play well. By watching how other players bond the numbers, a player who is weaker with number bonds will become stronger over time.
Mental Calculation ~ if a player does not know number bonds, this game will help players develop the ability to add mentally - always a plus in maths learning and our daily life.
When using games to help children learn maths, it is important to let them talk about the mathematical facts in the games. Mathematical communication is a good indicator of mathematical ability.
