Taking It to the Classroom: Number Board Games as a Small Group Learning Activity

We examined whether a theoretically based number board game could be translated into a practical classroom activity that improves Head Start children's numerical knowledge. Playing the number board game as a small group learning activity promoted low-income children's number line estimation, magnitude comparison, numeral identification, and counting. Improvements were also found when a paraprofessional from the children's classroom played the game with the children. Observations of the game-playing sessions revealed that paraprofessionals adapted the feedback they provided to individual children's improving numerical knowledge over the game-playing sessions and that children remained engaged in the board game play after multiple sessions. These findings suggest that the linear number board game can be used effectively in the classroom context.