We’ve all heard about the benefits of board games when it comes to enhancing learning and development. Well, here’s some fantastic news—recent research reveals that number-based board games like Monopoly, Othello, and Chutes and Ladders can work wonders in improving our young children’s math skills!

The research

The study, published in the peer-reviewed journal Early Years, delved into the topic over the past 23 years, and the findings are truly fascinating. For kids aged three to nine, playing these number-based board games can lead to better counting, improved addition abilities, and enhanced number recognition. Isn’t that amazing?

Dr. Jaime Balladares, the lead author of the study from Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, shares the exciting news: “Board games enhance mathematical abilities for young children. Using board games can be considered a strategy with potential effects on basic and complex math skills. Board games can easily be adapted to include learning objectives related to mathematical skills or other domains.”

But wait, there’s more! The magic of these board games lies in their format. Games, where players take turns to move pieces around a board, are the ones that prove beneficial for our little learners. These games offer fixed rules, which limit a player’s activities, and the moves on the board generally determine the overall playing situation. The consistency of this format helps in reinforcing math skills and concepts.

Board Games vs Worksheets

Despite the undeniable advantages of number-based board games, it’s surprising to note that preschools rarely use them, and many families turn to paper worksheets like Brain Quest or Kumon or online math games. As a result, this research aimed to compile evidence of board games’ effects on children to spread the word about their benefits.

Here’s how the study was conducted: The researchers analyzed 19 studies published from 2000 onwards, involving children aged from three to nine years. All the studies focused on the relationship between board games and mathematical skills. The children participating in the studies received special board game sessions, led by teachers, therapists, or parents, on average twice a week for 20 minutes over one-and-a-half months.

The results

The results were nothing short of impressive! Math skills improved significantly among more than half (52%) of the tasks analyzed after the sessions. In almost a third (32%) of cases, children who took part in the board game intervention performed better than those who did not participate.

Now, this opens up a whole new world of opportunities. The researchers are planning to explore the effects of board games on other cognitive and developmental skills. They’re urging the development of more and better educational board games and implementing scientific procedures to evaluate their efficacy. Isn’t that an exciting prospect?

The takeaway

So, parents, it’s time to dust off those old board games and set up regular game nights with your kids. Let them dive into the world of numbers and math through these entertaining and educational games. The best part? You can join in the fun too! By doing so, you not only boost their math skills but also create lasting memories and strong family bonds.

The power of board games in nurturing our children’s minds is immense. Let’s embrace this effective and enjoyable approach to learning, and watch our little ones flourish in the world of numbers. The joy and learning that come from these board games are truly priceless. So, gather your family around the game board, and let the math magic unfold! Check out these math-based board games to get started.

Are you looking for engaging and effective alternatives to Kumon Online for your child’s math learning journey? Well, you’ve come to the right place! While Kumon Online is undoubtedly a popular choice, there are numerous other fantastic options available that can provide a fresh and dynamic approach to math education. In this blog post, we’ll explore some exciting alternatives to Kumon Online, offering you a range of options to consider for your child’s mathematical growth.

Thinkster Math:

Thinkster is an online math tutoring program that takes a personalized approach to teaching math. What’s great about Thinkster Math is that it tailors the instruction specifically to your child’s needs. They provide interactive worksheets, engaging video tutorials, and even feedback from experienced math tutors. It’s a great resource that combines AI with the guidance of real tutors.

Khan Academy:

Khan Academy is an incredible online platform that offers a wide range of subjects, including math, completely free of charge. With its interactive lessons, practice exercises, and personalized learning approach, Khan Academy provides an engaging and comprehensive alternative to Kumon Online. It covers various grade levels and offers detailed progress tracking, allowing you to monitor your child’s development.

Mathletics:

If you’re searching for an interactive and gamified math learning experience, Mathletics is the perfect choice. With its captivating interface and engaging activities, Mathletics makes math feel like an exciting adventure. It offers curriculum-aligned content, adaptive learning features, and even friendly competitions to keep your child motivated and eager to explore the world of numbers.

Beast Academy:

For young math enthusiasts who crave a challenge, Beast Academy is a unique option. Designed for students in grades 2-5, Beast Academy provides a comic book-style curriculum that brings math to life. Its unconventional approach combines storytelling, puzzles, and problem-solving tasks to ignite your child’s curiosity and passion for mathematics.

Prodigy:

Prodigy is an online math game that captivates children’s attention while reinforcing important math skills. With its immersive gameplay and adaptive learning technology, Prodigy makes math enjoyable and interactive. It covers various math topics and allows your child to progress at their own pace, making learning an exciting adventure.

IXL:

IXL is a comprehensive online learning platform that covers a wide range of subjects, including math. It offers a vast library of interactive exercises, providing practice across different math concepts and skills. IXL provides detailed feedback and explanations, ensuring your child understands each concept thoroughly.

DreamBox Learning:

DreamBox Learning is an adaptive math program that caters to your child’s individual needs. It provides personalized lessons and activities based on their unique strengths and weaknesses. DreamBox Learning’s engaging and interactive interface keeps children motivated and focused on their math journey.

Mathseeds:

Mathseeds is specifically designed for early math learners, targeting children aged 3 to 9. It uses captivating animations, games, and activities to introduce foundational math skills in a fun and interactive way. Mathseeds encourages independent exploration and provides progress reports to keep you informed about your child’s achievements.

Conclusion:

As parents, we have a multitude of alternatives to Kumon Online that can cater to our child’s unique learning needs and make math an exciting adventure. Whether you opt for Khan Academy’s comprehensive approach, Mathletics’ gamified experience, or Beast Academy’s unconventional style, there is a wealth of resources available to help your child thrive in their mathematical journey. Explore these alternatives, consider your child’s interests and learning style, and choose the option that best suits their needs. Remember, learning math doesn’t have to be a chore—it can be a thrilling and enjoyable experience for your child!

My teen kids used Exam Solutions to help them with their UK curriculum A Level Maths studies and I’ve also used it as a reference when researching ways to introduce new topics to my tutees. 

I was therefore delighted to connect with Michael of Air Maths Tuition who also helps to run and update the Exam Solutions website. Michael loves tutoring and sharing his love of maths as much as I do, so I’ve invited him to share in the ins and outs of this popular UK maths resource with my Maths Insider readers.

– Caroline – Maths Insider

ExamSolutions 

Are you looking for help with maths? I’m sure if you ‘google it’, you’ll find several resources out there. 

But one of the few standout resources for maths is ExamSolutions. ExamSolutions is a free maths resource that specialises in video tutorials for AS and A level maths. It helps British and International students and teachers across the world. Since it started in 2006, there are now over 4000 video tutorials, crafted solely for the purpose of making high quality support available to all students, for FREE.

As a resource that has served students and teachers for almost 14 years, it has become a brand. You may know the man behind the voice in all the videos as, ‘the ExamSolutionsGuy’, but his real name is Stuart Sidders. He is a fully qualified maths teacher with over 40 years of experience teaching in state schools. 

The Team

I was just one of the many students who used Stuart’s videos to help me through my A levels.  All those years ago, I remember struggling to understand integration. After searching around on google, I stumbled across a video by ExamSolutions (Watch the same video below).

The video was short, easy to understand and there were plenty more examples for me to practice my new skills. This was truly the turning point for me. I began to use the videos instead of my textbook and was able to achieve an A at the end. Between then and now, I have achieved a First-Class honours degree in Maths, had a stint in the City of London as a Stock Trader and taught several students at different levels in Maths. I am now working alongside Stuart to open things up on the GCSE side. Between us, we have a combined 50 years of teaching experience.  

So what’s on offer?

Videos

When it comes to resources for AS and A level Maths, you’re probably going to be spoilt for choice with ExamSolutions. We have over 4000 bite – sized maths videos, with various topics for you to choose from. To find the help you need, just type in YouTube [your topic] followed by ‘ExamSolutions’.  You can also choose from a selection of topics on the Pure Maths index, Statistics index and Mechanic index pages on our website. 

Even better, the video tutorials teach you exactly how it’s done from scratch and carefully explains each concept. There are also several examples which help to expose you to the different types of questions you may come across in the exams. With over 500 topics, we cover such an extensive range that many students use our videos instead of their textbooks. 

Are videos better than textbooks?

Statistics show that videos are 12 times more popular (in terms of social media shares) than text.  

But, why?

Here are 3 reasons why our videos are so effective and why we spend most of our time making videos for students:

• Videos are more memorable – After all, the idea of learning is to be able to recall key points and methods and apply them to problems. 
• It’s an easier watch – studies have shown that the brain processes videos much quicker than it does with text, making harder topics easier to absorb and understand. 
• It’s quicker – Whether it is cooking, cleaning, or learning, we all want faster results!  

Our videos help students to take on information in a very short time span. Compare 10 minutes of a clear and concise video tutorial to an hour-long classroom and it seems like a no brainer. 

GCSE Worked solutions to Past papers

We also produce handwritten Worked Solutions to GCSE maths past papers. We believe these are more ‘user friendly’ and detailed than mark schemes. Imagine revising from a past exam paper where you not only get answers to the questions, but you also get worked solutions with annotations, useful definitions, comments, labels and colour!  Learning from questions this way is unique and arguably one of the more practical ways of learning mathematics at this level. 

Writing the solutions by hand also provides its own cognitive value for students. This raw approach makes the idea of being able to write their own solutions more achievable. Naturally, when you see that someone else can do it, it helps you to believe that you can also do it.  

We’ll be putting out more of these resource for iGCSE’s soon so look out for this on our IGCSE past papers page. You can also find past papers and mark schemes on our website. 

Livestreams

During the peak of the Covid-19 crisis we produced live streams for students whilst they were off school, again all free, and judging by the feedback received at the end of sessions, were very successful. You can get to see us teaching LIVE here. 

What teachers and students say about ExamSolutions

In conclusion, ExamSolutions has helped hundreds of thousands of students and teachers over the years. 

There is no better reward than to learn that we are helping to change people’s lives.  It’s  the support from students and teachers that drives us do more. 

To get an idea of the impact this resource has made in people’s lives in the last 3 years, view our testimionals page.  

By Michael Olagunju

Director of Air Maths Tuition

Sumaze! is a cool problem-solving app that helps kids and adults build an intuitive approach to math. I’ve been playing it for for past week and it really is kind of addictive!

What I also love about it is that it’s low stakes – no timers and no negative audio sounds when you get the puzzle wrong, so it’s perfect for nervous young mathematicians!

Sumaze’s puzzles involve arithmetic, inequalities, the modulus function, indices, logarithms and primes and players don’t need ANY previous knowledge of these topics in order to play. This app was created by the UK organization Mathematics in Education and Industry (MEI) and the Sigma network who provide  support for excellence in mathematics and statistics.

If you and your family loved the Dragonbox suite of apps – you’ll love this too!

Watch the video below to see some of the Sumaze gameplay:

Sumaze! 2 is now also available. It includes puzzles which involve fractions, decimals, percentages, primes and digits.