which was signed in 2015 by President Barack Obama. Some of the noteworthy highlights
It focuses on college and career ready
That annual statewide assessment still takes place though evidence-based and research-based interventions developed by local leaders and educators.
Maintain an expectation that there will be accountability and act to effect positive change in our lowest-performing schools.
MANGO Math is easy to implement
summarized in an article by Davies (1995) who researched the literature available at the time.
Meaningful situations - for the application of mathematical skills are created by games
Motivation - children freely choose to participate and enjoy playing
Positive attitude - Games provide opportunities for building self-concept and developing positive attitudes towards mathematics, through reducing the fear of failure and error;
Increased learning - in comparison to more formal activities, greater learning can occur through games due to the increased interaction between children, opportunities to test intuitive ideas and problem solving strategies
Different levels - Games can allow children to operate at different levels of thinking and to learn from each other. In a group of children playing a game, one child might be encountering a concept for the first time, another may be developing his/her understanding of the concept, a third consolidating previously learned concept
Assessment - children's thinking often becomes apparent through the actions and decisions they make during a game, so the teacher has the opportunity to carry out diagnosis and assessment of learning in a non-threatening situation
Home and school - Games provide 'hands-on' interactive tasks for both school and home
Independence - Children can work independently of the teacher. The rules of the game and the children's motivation usually keep them on task.
Few language barriers - an additional benefit becomes evident when children from non-English-speaking backgrounds are involved. The basic structures of some games are common to many cultures, and the procedures of simple games can be quickly learned through observation. Children who are reluctant to participate in other mathematical activities because of language barriers will often join in a game, and so gain access to the mathematical learning as well as engage in structured social interaction.
Make sure the game matches the mathematical objective
Use games for specific purposes, not just time-fillers
Keep the number of players from two to four, so that turns come around quickly
The game should have enough of an element of chance so that it allows weaker students to feel that they a chance of winning
Keep the game completion time short
Use five or six 'basic' game structures so the children become familiar with the rules - vary the mathematics rather than the rules
Send an established game home with a child for homework
