Well Played: Building Mathematical Thinking Through Number Games and Puzzles, Grades 3-5

"This is a book full of thoughtful and well-chosen games and puzzles, but it is also a book that offers a lens into how we might include this kind of play in our own classrooms in ways that are deeply meaningful and engaging for our students. It is a book truly rooted in the realities and possibilities of the classroom, which is what makes it such a valuable resource for teachers." - Kassia Omohundro Wedekind, from the foreword


Students love math games and puzzles, but how much are they really learning from the experience? Too often, math games are thought of as just a fun activity or enrichment opportunity. Well Played shows you how to make games and puzzles an integral learning component that provides teachers with unique access to student thinking.

The twenty-five games and puzzles in Well Played, which have all been field-tested in diverse classrooms, contain:
- explanations of the mathematical importance of each game or puzzle and how it supports student learning;
- variations for each game or puzzle to address a range of learning levels and styles;
- clear step-by-step directions; and
- classroom vignettes that model how best to introduce the featured game or puzzle.

The book also includes a separate chapter with suggestions for how to effectively manage games and puzzles in diverse classrooms; reproducibles that provide directions, game boards, game cards, and puzzles; assessment ideas; and suggestions for online games, puzzles, and apps.

Well Played will help you tap the power of games and puzzles to engage students in sustained and productive mathematical thinking.