Santiago, July 8 (IANS). Number-based board games like Monopoly, Othello, and Chutes and Ladders help young children get better at math. This has been revealed in a report based on the review of studies.
Board games are already known to aid learning and development, including reading and literacy.
A new study published in the peer-reviewed journal Early Years has shown that a number-based board game for three to nine-year-olds helps improve their ability to count, add and recognize that one number is greater than another. or less.
Researchers said children benefit from programs or interventions where they play board games under the supervision of a teacher or other trained adult.
“Board games enhance the mathematical abilities of young children,” said lead author Dr. Jaime Balladeres from the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile in Chile.
“The use of board games can be considered as a strategy with potential impact on early and difficult math skills.”
“The board game can be easily adapted to include learning objectives related to mathematical skills or other domains,” Balladeres said.
In the study, researchers examined the scale of effects of physical board games in promoting learning in young children.
They drew this conclusion based on a review of 19 studies published since the year 2000. These included children aged three to nine years. All studies except one focused on the relationship between board games and mathematical skills.
All the children participating in the study were given special board game sessions for an average of 20 minutes twice a week for a month and a half. Adults leading these sessions included teachers, therapists, or parents.
The results showed that children’s maths skills improved significantly after the session in more than half (52 per cent) of the tasks analysed.
In nearly a third (32 percent) of cases, children in the intervention groups achieved better results than those who did not participate in the board game intervention.
The analyzed studies also show that to date, when board games have been applied to language or literacy areas, there has been little scientific evaluation (i.e. comparing control to intervention groups or before and after intervention) to evaluate their impact on children. to do with group) has not been included.
–IANS
PK/AKJ