Suggestions for Using Decimal Squares Games

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	Suggestions for Using Decimal Squares Games

	The students in the following game are playing Decimal Squares Bingo. Each player has a 3 x 3 array of cards with decimals and as a square is selected the players look for its decimal on their cards.

		Photo courtesy of Herb Moyer
		Photo courtesy of Herb Moyer
The 36 Decimal Squares games are arranged in order by seven concepts as shown in the preceding screen. These games reinforce and expand the activities presented in the Decimal Squares Teacher’s Guide. They provide an excellent opportunity for students to discuss decimal concepts and develop strategies. Specific suggestions for using these games are contained in the following paragraphs. The individual games can be copied and laminated and placed in a card file for student use. Class tournaments for a particular game can be organized by the teacher or the students. A common practice for introducing some of the games is to make transparencies of the game mats such as DECIMAL SQUARES BINGO NUMBER LINES and DECIO for demonstrations at the overhead. If the teacher plays against the class this gives students a chance to discuss the strategies suggested by others. One teacher assigned each student a different game to play with all the other students. A large grid with the names of the students on the left edge and the names of the games across the top was posted on the wall. As the games were played the students recorded their initials in the boxes of the grid to show which students had played a particular game. In this grid Emily Briggs (EB) was assigned High-Low and played this game with the five students shown.

Some teachers will have the students play the games when their class work is finished. Occasionally a special game period can be declared like a Friday afternoon. If the games are played early in the year later during the study of decimals experiences from the games can be called upon to illustrate equality inequality and the four operations with decimals. As students become familiar with strategies for the games they can write and ‘publish” class reports with explanations and diagrams of their favorite strategies.