From Competitive to Collaborative

Each of the three games below has been structured in the same way. We introduce each one as a competition, which can often be motivating for children and 'hook' them in. The competitive element provides a need to understand and apply the underlying mathematics.  Once learners have become immersed in the game and are fluent with the rules, we then make a shift from the competitive environment to a collaborative context. The collaborative situation provides the opportunity to pose specific questions relating to the game and therefore a 'reason to reason'. If children are working together on a challenge, there is a need to articulate their thinking and justify their choices to each other.

These three games are independent of each other so the order in which you try them does not matter. Each one can be used to develop any or all of the five strands of the rope model (understanding, skills, problem solving, reasoning and attitude), but the collaborative version particularly lends itself to fostering a positive attitude as learners' resilience may be tested!

(Almost any game can be structured in this way. You may like to browse our collection of primary games with this in mind.)