For learning maths facts
These are a few maths activities which
use Dominoes, cards, and dice, equipment you will probably already
have in your house. I have just written notes about how we
adapt each game, I'm presuming a basic knowledge of how to play
dominoes and card patience (solitaire).
- Play normal dominoes.
- We use a set of "nines", where the tiles have numbers from 0 to 9 on them. This lets us practice doubles up to 9+9=18.
- This is the main difference - the way we score.
- We add up the two numbers
(e.g.: 2+2=4) and that makes the score for that turn.
Our son always wants to do the scoring, which is convenient 
.
- All the scores are added
together at the end of the game. If a player
has any dominoes left, these are added together and then
subtracted from their score. The player with the largest
score is the winner.
In this game we play dominoes slightly differently. We don't match like for like (e.g.: 4 to 4, 6 to 6), but we do match numbers if they add up to ten (e.g.: 6 and 4, 7 and 3, 9 and 1).
To make the game work you have to match 0 to 0.
This is like a standard game of dominoes, except that: after each turn the numbers on each end of the line must either add up to 5, or add up to be a multiple of 5.
1) Take out all the face cards out of a standard pack of cards, you don't need these.
2) Lay the remaining cards out on a table, in the pattern in the picture. You will have a small pile of cards left in your hand.
3) If you can make ten by adding up two of the cards (e.g.: six of hearts + 4 of clubs), you can remove them.
4) You can then turn over the face down cards when they have no cards overlapping them, and are 'free'.
5) When you can no longer match the cards on the table, you start to turn over the cards in your hand, one by one.
6) From now on you match either two on the table, or one from your hand and one from the table. In the same way as when you are playing basic card patience.
7) You have won if you have can use all the cards in the pyramid.
-Play with 5 dice.
- This is the point of the game: You need to get a ship (6), a captain (5), and a mate (4). In this order. The crew (the two dice which are left), are added together to give the score
-Each player gets three throws.
-Throw the dice, putting aside the 6 then 5 then 4 dice when they appear throughout the three throws.
-The 6,5,4 dice must be collected in order. You set these dice aside when they are thrown, and continue with the remaining dice. You cannot set aside a 5 before you have the six, or a 4 before you have both the 5 and 6.
-If you get 6,5,4 by your first throw (or second), you are able to throw again to see if you can get a higher score with the remaining two dice. Until you have finished your three throws.
-We plan on having 10 goes each. The scores from all the rounds are then added up. It is quite likely that there will be an equal amount of scoring and non scoring rounds.
-Use 3 dice
-Each player has three throws per go.
-Put aside the highest die after the first throw and continue throwing the two remaining dice. Set aside the highest die again, and continue by throwing the remaining die.
-These three dice are now added together to give the score.
-This is played the same way as Going to Boston, but the scoring is different.
-The first two dice are added together, then they are multiplied by the third.
There are so many domino, card and dice games, this is just a very small selection.
© http://www.he-special.org.uk
The Reading Reflex
Many people find this reading programme helpful for children with dyslexia.
[web site]
The Out-of-Synch Child
by Carol Stock Kranowitz
"Recognizing and Coping with Sensory Integration Dysfunction."
How Children Learn
John Holt has written a few books about Home education, all of which are excellent.
