Last Updated on October 9, 2023 by Editorial Team
Is there any captivating way of acquainting beginners to quadrilaterals? Many times this question crosses the mind when kids look perplexed. It is commonly noticed that students’ thoughts take flight when the instructions are unidirectional. To keep the children on the same page, collaboration has to replace dictation.
The challenge of combatting attention deficit[1] posed by specific learning difficulties also demands the use of creative methods like serious games. That is why, there is strong advocacy for the use of manipulatives, games, and activities to give heads-up to beginners on topics like a quadrilateral.
Making learning fun for all with games
Technological advancements have modernized teaching tools too. Digitized solutions have made it possible to learn, or exchange knowledge using unconventional ways. Like lots of applications meant for several purposes, there are games for learning maths too. These games offer myriad ways of improving proficiency levels and show various positive impacts[2], :
- Math games may help boost motivation to learn
- Their engaging elements sustain kids’ interest in learning
- Games promote learning by doing and encourage active learning[3]
- The likelihood of sustenance of concepts in mind for long is high when learned through gamified activities
- Topics like Quadrilateral’s various concepts become clearer through applying them in solving problems provided in games
Keeping these benefits in mind, we enlist here the most engaging games that can give ample practice of quadrilateral-based concepts.
Games for practicing quadrilateral-based concepts
1. Math game -15 questions
Games offer a premise to apply concepts learned from books or reference materials. When you are done memorizing attributes of quadrilaterals, apply your knowledge to answer these questions. This game is suitable for geometry beginners and traverses them through the classification of quadrilaterals. Questions appear one by one but give ample time to think and recall concepts. If you want to make it more challenging, you can have the questions coming up more rapidly.
The game allows refreshing the quadrilateral concepts from all angles. It serves the needs of those learners the best who need training in spatial orientations. This game complements this need because the figures appear in different orientations too. Practice as many times as you can, improvement in score every time motivates you to try more. The main outcome is that it reinforces the concepts in mind sustainably.
2. Quadrilateral shape game
Quadrilaterals are figures having four sides. Before exploring other attributes, little learners or geometry beginners need to reinforce this fact in their minds. This game is designed to achieve this objective. A collection of shapes appears on the screen and the student needs to pick the quadrilaterals from it. By doing this, they become fluent in the differentiation of shapes.
The act of picking improves hand-eye coordination. Once you have selected all quadrilaterals, you can submit the result. Every screen has figures arranged in different settings. Hence, it helps improve mental power as the student needs to focus on quadrilaterals from the collection displayed in varying orientations. You may find an increase in concentration levels and smoother concept retrieval by practicing this game regularly.
3. Name the Quadrilateral game
The next in the list of quadrilateral games is the ‘Name the Quadrilateral’ game. This game helps transition from shape identification to recalling their attributes. Every quadrilateral has a unique characteristic. This characteristic may be the result of the relationship between angles and sides. For example, the Rhombus has all sides equal but the angle between adjacent sides is not 900, which is actually true for the square. Once you have practiced enough about the properties of various quadrilaterals, you can apply this knowledge to play this game.
Designed for students of primary level, this game offers an engaging practice tool to refresh quadrilaterals’ attributes. Hints like measurements of sides and angles prompt the students to keep their focus on finding answers based on the properties and not merely the shape.
3. Find parallel sides
Some quadrilaterals have a pair of parallel sides, others don’t. One can employ this factual knowledge for playing this quick quiz. Questions containing figures appear one after the other offering a pretext to think quickly. Every right answer increases the green fluid in the barometer shown on the right side of the screen. Kids enjoy playing this game because of the playful elements included in the backdrop.
The game design allows the kids to revisit the quiz to rectify errors in the next round. The charm of seeing the barometer rising and the green fluid filling the tube the fastest possible drives kids to practice more and augment concept recall. Introduce this game to kids as a formative assessment tool and help them have ample practice with quadrilateral concepts.
4. Classify quadrilaterals
How about solving a mystery using the knowledge of quadrilaterals? This game does precisely that! It has quite a creative backdrop. Students take up the role of investigator and try to find the suspect. The suspect here is nothing but a shape represented by a code name. The kids have to match the correct figure with the real name and submit an answer. The act of differentiating the quadrilaterals from other figures and matching them with cues provides ample mental workout.
Shape fluency, quick recall, and enhanced concentration are some of the reasons why this game is recommended for practicing quadrilaterals-based problems. The gamified environment takes the stress of learning away and makes the process of concept build-up more fun.
5. Recognize quadrilaterals in different orientations
Spatial knowledge along with shape identification are two skills tested by this quadrilateral game. Quadrilaterals are rotated at certain angles in this game to tease the little kids’ brains. Their knowledge of attributes and quick thinking can help them perform well in this game. You can find various levels in this game that offer questions with increasing complexity. Also, the number of questions may increase too.
Primarily designed for third-grade students, this quiz can help students at higher levels brush up on their basics. It is an interesting brain teaser and boosts critical thinking capabilities. When trying to engage kids to learn the differences between rhombus, trapezoid, rectangle, and parallelogram, this game serves the purpose beautifully.
6. Match Quadrilateral Game
This game is UNO of quadrilaterals. Kids can indulge in making a deck of cards and draw various quadrilaterals on them. Once the stack is ready, it can be divided into four players. One of the players acts as a volunteer and starts showing the cards to others.
The remaining players take out the first card of their respective decks and see if it matches the shape of the volunteer’s card. If yes, the player gets the volunteer’s card. One has to be really fast to ascertain similarity. They can coin a word like ‘Snap’ to claim the card. The player who utters the word snap first gets the card in case more than one player has the same shape.
Picking the correct strategy is important
Often parents and teachers wonder if the kids are really getting something out of playing games or not. Their concern is real. It takes a disciplined approach and correct strategy to ensure that kids are not carried away by the gamification quotient. To ensure that kids stay on the path of learning, the following strategies can help:
- Ask questions: Let the kids meet their games’ objectives first. But, do revisit the game and ask why they chose the answer. It assures that kids have applied reasoning and not the guesswork merely.
- Give a heads-up: Most of the games look similar in settings. However, with a correct introduction, teachers can convey the real motive of the game. This strategy helps kids pick a method that is applicable to arrive at the solution.
- Set a time limit: Games may not come with the in-built timer. To augment quick recall, you can encourage kids to solve the puzzle or question within a timeframe.
- Give demonstrations: There may be some games where the procedure may not be easy to understand. Kids have the habit of abandoning the activity if they can’t get the gameplay or find the impact of their actions. Hence, give a detailed demonstration and then ask kids to perform. There will be several errors like pressing ‘submit’ without answering, or clicking ‘yes’ where ‘no’ is applicable; all such errors can be reduced by explaining the gameplay.
Conclusion
Books provide the base needed for concept development and games offer a way to apply the learning. Having a repertoire of games can help kids test their proficiency levels from various perspectives. Since they are doing something and are rewarded instantly in the form of notes of praise or scores, their interest in learning deepens by playing quadrilateral games.
References
- García-Redondo, P., García, T., Areces, D., Núñez, J. C., & Rodríguez, C. (2019). Serious Games and Their Effect Improving Attention in Students with Learning Disabilities. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16(14). https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16142480
- Math Teacher’s Perspective on Using Educational Computer Games in Math Education, Demirbilek & Tamer, Procedia Social and Behavioral Sciences, 2010
- Games, Motivation, and Learning: A Research and Practice Model, Simulation & Gaming, 2002
I am Pratiksha Bhatt, Bachelor of Life Science, and Masters in Management Studies. I have done certification courses in early education counseling. I am a writer, a mother of a child with spelling difficulties which drove me to alternative resources of education like manipulatives and participatory activities. My areas of expertise are learning difficulties, alternative learning methods, and activity-based learning.