THE GAME
Numbers in a row
Children played a race game on a straight track of numbered squares. Just four 15-minute sessions closed a gap in number estimation between children from lower- and higher-income homes.
Pick a gameWHAT THE STUDIES SAY
Roll, count,
move.
A simple race game can be a maths lesson in disguise.
≈ 1 HOUR of play in total
4 × 15 min Sessions that closed the estimation gap
- Numbers in a straight line
- Short, regular games
- Play together
- Fun first, numbers follow
When young children move a counter along a straight track of numbered squares, they see that bigger numbers sit further along. In two studies, about an hour of play in total improved preschoolers' number skills.
THE SHORT ANSWER
The straight track
does the teaching.
Moving further for bigger numbers builds a mental number line.
The same game with colours instead of numbers did not help.
THE CONTROL
Colours didn't do it
Classmates who played an identical game with coloured squares instead of numbers did not improve on any of the number measures.
See the numbers
IN SCHOOL
Backed by UK guidance
The Education Endowment Foundation says board games such as Snakes and Ladders are particularly beneficial for developing children's understanding of number.
Play at homeA QUICK GAME CHECK
Which game
builds number sense?
Pick a kind of game to see what the studies found. The bar shows how strongly the evidence links it to better number skills.
Based on two 2008 studies by Ramani and Siegler with preschoolers from low-income backgrounds, and Education Endowment Foundation guidance.
FOUR WAYS TO PLAY
Make any race game
a number game.
These ideas build on what the studies tested: a straight, numbered track and short games.
Use a straight track
Choose or draw a board where the numbers run in a single line, so further along means bigger.
Name the numbers
Saying the number on each square you land on keeps the number and the distance travelled together.
Keep games short
The studies used sessions of about 15 minutes, so a quick game is enough.
Fold in everyday maths
EEF guidance suggests weaving maths into the day, such as snack time, and using story and picture books too.
TWO NUMBERS WORTH KNOWING
Short to play,
slow to fade.
How little play it took,
and how long the gains lasted.
4 × 15 min
Sessions that closed the estimation gap
Preschoolers from lower-income families started behind in estimating number size. After four 15-minute sessions of a numbered board game, the difference disappeared.
PLAY TIME · DEVELOPMENTAL SCIENCE 2008
9 weeks
Weeks later, gains still measured
After roughly an hour of play, preschoolers (average age 5.4 years) improved on four number tasks, and the gains remained 9 weeks later.
LASTING GAINS · CHILD DEVELOPMENT 2008
Both studies worked with preschoolers from low-income backgrounds, so results for other children may differ. Each compared the number game with a colour version of the same game.
WHERE IT LEADS
Numbers to 10
by the end of reception.
England's early years framework expects children at the end of reception to have a deep understanding of numbers to 10, to recognise quantities up to 5 without counting, and to count beyond 20.
They should also compare quantities up to 10, saying when one is greater than, less than or the same as another. A board game practises exactly that, every time a counter moves.
Questions
Questions people ask
Do board games really help young children with maths?
In two 2008 studies, preschoolers who played a simple numbered board game for about an hour in total improved on counting, numeral identification, comparing numbers and number-line estimation, with gains lasting at least 9 weeks.
Does it matter which board game?
Yes. The studies used a straight track of numbered squares. Children who played the same game with coloured squares instead of numbers did not improve.
How long should we play?
The researchers used short sessions of about 15 minutes. Four such sessions closed a gap in number estimation in one study.
What do UK schools say about board games?
The Education Endowment Foundation's early years maths guidance says board games such as Snakes and Ladders are particularly beneficial to developing understanding of numbers.
What maths should children know by the end of reception?
England's EYFS framework expects a deep understanding of numbers to 10, recognising quantities up to 5 without counting, and counting beyond 20.
Where the facts come from
Updated
- Ramani and Siegler (2008), Promoting broad and stable improvements in low-income children's numerical knowledge through playing number board games, Child Development
- Siegler and Ramani (2008), Playing linear numerical board games promotes low-income children's numerical development, Developmental Science
- Education Endowment Foundation: Improving Mathematics in the Early Years and Key Stage 1
- Department for Education: EYFS statutory framework for group and school-based providers (PDF)