Numbers League is an amazing math game that has all the elements for learning in disguise. It has a cartoon feel from yesteryear, great music, heroes, villains, missions and more. The dramatic plot: as villains lurk in the streets, the Number League must assemble a team of superheroes to use the sum of their incredible powers and devices to capture as many villains as they can.
The game can be played independently or have as many as four users on a single iPad. When your name appears in the headlines it is your turn. Custom levels allow for a tailored learning experience using addition, subtraction and/or multiplication.
What is exciting about this app is how it gets your child beyond memorizing math facts and truly thinking! Parents and teachers have given us rave reviews. We also have it on good authority that kids love it too. One of those few apps that you will be vying with your kids for “your turn” on the iPad.
We realize that Numbers League is too advanced for many KinderTown kids. Here are two apps to help your child develop the math skills needed for Numbers League:
Excited about this app as much as we are, but don’t have an iPad yet? Get the card game.
Activity 1: Teaching Power of Setting the Table
There are also many activities you can do around your house to prepare your child with a strong foundation in number knowledge. One place in the house that is filled with math learning is the kitchen. The simple act of setting the table yields a tremendous amount of math thinking. Here are two little things you can do to increase the learning while setting the table:
1) Share with your child how many people will be sitting at the table for dinner. Leave your child to collecting the dishes and preparing the table. For dinner for 4, your child might grab 3 spoons, 4 forks and 5 knives. Don’t correct her but watch her figure out what it looks like to have “more” and “less” as she positions the silverware at each place.
2) Surprise your “little assistant” with needing to change your dinner plans at the last minute. Tell him one more person is coming to dinner and you need his help to change the table. Leave him to it and see what he does. Another night set your table with one extra and then reinforce “less” but encouraging him to take away one place setting.
Activity 2: Why Do I Need to Learn This?
You know this is going to be a question you will get as your child gets older. Keep math relevant and applicable to your child’s world with this fun activity that will keep adults on their toes.
What You’ll Need:
• Your device’s camera
• Family, friends and neighbors who will participate
Start by asking your child about why they study the math at school. You will get a sense of what her teacher tells them, how your child sees math around them, and probably a few “I don’t know”s. Get a good idea of your child’s knowledge about “math in the real world” by seeing if she can tell you what kinds of jobs use math or how you use Math in your job and day-to-day experiences.
If your child shows interest in this line of discussion. Let her know that you would like to find out how people are using math too. You might ask the question, “I wonder if we can find 4 people who use math in their jobs?” Offer up the idea of creating a video with your child doing interviews of people in your community to see how they are using math. A quick email to family and friends is a good idea – you don’t want “Auntie” surprised when her niece shows up with the iPhone camera asking questions.
Even if you don’t make a video, there is value in talking about how you appreciate the things you learned in school (even if it wasn’t math – everyone has experiences in school they treasure). Make connections between what your kids are learning about and how to use it as an adult. Model that the math they are working on now will help them when they go to the grocery store, plan for a trip or learn to drive the car.
Note: This kind of activity you might think your child would not do without persuasion. Be there asking guided questions and sparking ideas with small suggestion. You just might be labeled the “cool” parent who lets their kid create videos!
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