Flash the Dots! Homework Math Game

Flash the Dots! Math Game

Materials:

- Flash the Dots! mat (with instructions) in clear protector sleeve

- 1 thin dry erase marker

- 1 piece of paper towel for eraser

- Dot pattern cards (from Activity #1)

Game Description

This activity includes a partner and the dot cards from Activity #1. The child’s partner will pick out one dot card, put it in their hand, and show him/her the card for three seconds. (This makes sure that the child is not seeing the pattern from the back of the card.) The partner will then hide the dot card and ask the child to draw what he/she saw in the space below without showing the pattern again. Give the child ample time to draw the dot pattern he/she saw. Once the child has finished their drawing, ask your child about what they saw. (See the back of this paper for an example conversation.) The partner will continue to do this process until all of the pattern cards have been used.

Example Conversation

[After showing the dot card and your child drawing what they saw.]

Partner:  What did you see?  

Child:  I saw 5 dots.

Partner:  How do you know?  Did you see any patterns to help you remember there were 5 dots?

Child:  Yes, I saw 4 dots here and then one more dot on the side. (Or they might say, I saw 2 dots on top and 3 on the bottom.)

{Repeat this process with the other dot cards.}

Here’s a little blurb from the article “Subitizing is an Important Math Skill” to explain more about the purpose behind it.

While “subitizing” may not be a well-known word, it is certainly an important mathematical skill.  It is the ability to instantly recognize the amount of objects without actually counting them. Much like the importance of being able to calculate estimates, subitizing is something that comes up in the everyday lives of students.  One example is counting the dots on the faces of dice: when you roll a six, chances are you don’t actually count out each of the dots. Rather, you have come to recognize the pattern of three rows of two as being equal to six.  According to The National Council of Teachers and Mathematics, one key part of effective subitizing is developing pattern recognition.

As author of Subitizing: What Is It? Why Teach It? Douglas Clements says, “Students can use pattern recognition to discover essential properties of numbers, such as conservation and compensation. They can develop such capabilities as unitizing, counting on, and composing and decomposing numbers, as well as their understanding of arithmetic and place value—all valuable components of number sense.”