Dominoes are a fun math manipulative with multi purposes for multi ages. So, if you are like me and you teach more than one grade at home, it’s always nice to find something they can all do together.
First you can simply play the game. That will be fun and provide your child practice with logical thinking, strategy, and number recognition.
Put the dominoes in a bag and have your student grab one and use that to form his addition equation. For example the student draws one domino from the bag with a 5 on the top and a 3 on the bottom. Have your student write 5+3=8. Keep going until your lesson is complete. I normally give my kids 10 to 20 problems in this fashion.
Put the dominoes in a bag and have your student grab one and use that to form his subtraction equation. Be aware, that your student will have to put the bigger number first or if you are already teaching negatives it doesn’t matter. I also feel it is imperative to have your student write down the correct equation.
Out of the same bag, grab two dominoes and add one and then add the other and finally add those sums. This is always a fun challenge for students new to addition. Again, have the student copy down the correct equations.
Grab two dominoes but instead of adding the numbers on one domino use place value. One domino will give you the ones place and the tens place. Use that as one number and add it, multiply it or subtract it from the other domino.
Dominoes are a great way to teach that fractions are our friends. One domino can represent a fraction. This has many applications from recognition, to reduction to adding two domino fractions and so on. Have fun with this one!
As you play more games you will find other ways to implement this manipulative for math activities. You can also have all your students sit around the table and share the dominoes for their individual lessons. It is this type of activity and application that helps your students grow a better understanding of math.