At a time when the poor math performance of American school children has labeled us a "nation of underachievers," what can parents--often themselves daunted by the mysteries of mathematics--do to help their children? In Games for Math, Peggy Kaye--teacher extraordinaire and author of the highly praised Games for Reading--gives parents more than fifty marvelous and effective ways to help their children learn math by doing just what kids love best: playing games.

Acknowledgments • ixIntroduction • xiPART ONE • 1Chapter One: Counting Counts • 2        HOP, SKIP, TOUCH YOUR NOSE • 4        PENNY TOSS • 5        NUMBER COLLAGE • 7        THE HOW-MANY GAME • 10        THREE KINDS OF FANCY NUMBERS • 12Chapter Two: Thoughts to Grow On • 16        THE ER GAME • 20        KITCHEN CALCULUS • 21        OODLES OF NOODLES • 22        CLAP CLAP BEEP BEEP • 24        WHAT'S NEXT • 26Chapter Three: Size and Shape • 28        STRING TIME • 30        RIBBON ME • 32        HOW MUCH DOES IT HOLD? • 34        SHAPE LOTTO • 36        SHAPE COLLAGE • 39PART TWO • 43Chapter Four: Fancy Counting • 44        FILL THE SPOON • 46        GRASSHOPPER • 47        COUNTING AND ESTIMATING • 49        CLEANING COUNTS • 51        FIND A PENNY • 52        SECRET NUMBER • 55Chapter Five: Adding and Subtracting • 57        MAKE TEN • 59        WHAT DID I DO? • 62        TARGET GAME • 65        NUMBER STORIES • 67        NUMBER LADDER • 71        FAST TRACK • 72        DOUBLE IT • 77        MATH CHECKERS • 79        PYRAMID • 82        FIVE CARDS MAKE TEN • 85Chapter Six: Size and Shape II • 89        IS IT? • 90        TWO SEWING PROJECTS • 92        MATH IN THE KITCHEN • 96        TANGRAMS • 99        ORIGAMI • 106Chapter Seven: Multiplication and Division • 111        STAR COUNT • 113        VICTOR VAMPIRE'S BIRTHDAY • 117        LOTS OF BOXES • 123        CALCULATING MATH • 127Chapter Eight: The Number System • 132        A BUNCH OF BEANS • 134        FIFTY WINS • 138        BAG OF CHIPS • 144        THROW A NUMBER • 147        THREE POTS • 152        GROUP TEN • 155Chapter Nine: The Bigger the Better • 163        BIGGEST AND SMALLEST • 165        NUMBER TRAILS • 169        NUMBER ESP • 170PART THREE • 175Chapter Ten: Strategy Games • 176        TAPATAN • 178        YUT • 181        NINE MEN'S MORRIS • 185        KHALA • 191Chapter Eleven: It's a Puzzle • 198        NUMBER BUBBLES • 199        WHAT'S IT WORTH? • 209        COLORED BOXES • 214Appendices • 221        WHAT ABOUT COMPUTERS: • 222        MATH BOOKS TO READ ALOUD • 227        EXPLAINING NUMBER ESP • 229        A NOTE TO TEACHERS • 232