Let’s Play Math ~ It’s Important

Why is it so important to play math?

There are several reasons that it is important for students to ‘play math.’ First, it’s more fun than sweating over ‘drill and kill’ math worksheets. Next, everyone learns better when they are relaxed and having fun. Also, playing around with numbers, relationships, and ideas gives students a sense of ownership. Finally, messing around with numbers and mathematical ideas creates a fantastic context for skill practice.

It is easy to recognize play as “the highest form of research,” (N. V. Scarfe) or play as “the work of the child,” (Maria Montessori) however, planning lessons that bring out the joy in doing long division is just as difficult as it sounds. Plus, we know that learning math isn’t all fun and games. Mathematical concepts are precise. Academic terminology is detailed and can be confusing. And there are fractions! Parentheses! Variables! Many students ask, ‘When are we going to use this in real life?’ Which can be tricky to sell to young people. Most students have seen their parents and others reading or writing, but how often have they seen anyone calculating? Sure we measure in the kitchen and check the bill at restaurants and stores, however these are fleeting experiences that take a few minutes and not much more.

Teachers feel the pressure of society bearing down upon our everyday lessons. We have been trusted to create the next generation of geologists, physicists, engineers, statisticians, accountants, bankers, brain surgeons, and rocket scientists. How then, can we justify giving the brain trust of the future time to mess around with colorful blocks, counters, pens and paper? Isn’t play too trivial to include in the serious implementation of the curriculum? The simple answer is, ‘no.’

Playing around with objects and ideas accomplishes several important goals in math class. Students need to understand and be familiar with  manipulatives before they can use the manipulatives to learn. They have to learn about the number line before they can use the number line to learn.

adds imagination perspective taking new point of view fresh look at same ofd same old