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INTRODUCTION
This article considers how a simple board
game, Snakes and Ladders, can be used
to teach a rich variety of number concepts
from Foundation to Year 4, through subtle
modifications of game rules and student
instructions. One modification in particular
offers a powerful means of attempting
to move students on from count-on to
using more efficient mental computation
strategies.
• Early number concepts, such as one- In the educational psychology literature, 3, 4, 5’, moving their counter accordingly,
to-one correspondence, the cardinality this process is referred to as designing without paying attention to the fact that
principle, recognising digits from 0 to a task to reduce or remove extraneous they are now on the number 61.
9, subitising and linking digits to their cognitive load (Sweller, 2010).
It is important to note that students should Figure 2. Students engaged in a game of Snakes and Ladders, with a focus on ‘moving on from
not engage with this version of the game count on’.
until they have mastered counting-on, and
are confident ‘trusting the count’. It is for The first student to reach zero is the the Year 1 version involving the count-on
this reason that it may be more appropriate winner. Note that playing this way means strategy. However, the game-board has
to introduce this version to Year 3 students that snakes are helpful (because you been altered. Rather than containing the
(most of whom have likely mastered count go down snakes and towards zero), and numbers 1 to 100, it has been modified to
on, at least when the addends is 4 or less), ladders unhelpful (you go up ladders and contain the numbers 10 to 1000 (i.e., each
even though the use of many of these away from zero). number on the board has been increased
more efficient strategies is also directly by a factor of 10).
connected to the Year 2 curriculum. Mathematical concepts: Represent and
solve simple addition and subtraction Mathematical concepts: Investigate
OTHER POTENTIAL problems using a range of strategies number sequences, initially those increasing
including counting on, partitioning and and decreasing by twos, threes, fives and
MODIFICATIONS
rearranging parts (Australian Curriculum, tens from any starting point, then moving
There are several other modifications that Mathematics, Year 1). Although primarily to other sequences. Recognise, model,
could be made to Snakes and Ladders to aimed at Year 1 students, this version represent and order numbers to at least
explore additional number concepts. is more challenging than the count-on 1000 (Australian Curriculum, Mathematics,
version, and is also appropriate for Year 2. Year 2). This version of the game exposes
COUNT-BACK: YEAR 1 AND YEAR 2 students to counting by 10’s, reinforcing the
PLACE VALUE CONCEPTS - connection between counting by 1’s and
Dice: A 6-sided dice (labelled 1, 1, 2, 2, 3, NUMBERS TO 1000: YEAR 2 counting by 10’s. It also explores numbers
3). Alternatively you can play with a regular
up to 1000.
6-sided dice (labelled 1 to 6), however if a Dice: A 6-sided dice (labelled 10, 10, 20,
student rolls a 5 or a 6, they miss their turn. 20, 30, 30). Alternatively you can play with SKIP-COUNTING (2’S, 3’S, 5’S AND
a regular 6-sided dice (labelled 1 to 6), with 10’S): YEAR 2
Game-play and student instructions: the number rolled representing a multiple
Play the game exactly as outlined in the of 10 (i.e., 1 representing 10; 2 representing Dice: 6-sided dice modified for a particular
Count-on Year 1 version. Specifically, 20 etc). If a student rolls a 5 or a 6, they skip-counting sequence. For example,
PAGE 8
students have to verbalise the numbers as miss their turn. students might play with a dice that is
they roll their dice and move around the marked 3, 3, 6, 6, 9, 9 to reinforce counting
board. However, rather than begin at 1, Game-play and student instructions: by threes, or a dice that is marked 5, 5, 10,
start at 100 and count back. This version of the game exactly replicates 10, 15, 15 to reinforce counting by fives.
the square they landed on. Mathematical concepts: Recall addition board. Each week during the term,
facts for single-digit numbers and related several students could be chosen to
Mathematical concepts: Investigate the subtraction facts to develop increasingly each add a snake and ladder to the
conditions required for a number to be odd efficient mental strategies for computation board.
or even and identify odd and even numbers
CONCLUSION
One of the authors of this paper once
overheard a pre-service teacher who,
during their first ever tutorial, stated
dismissively to another student: ‘Snakes
and Ladders. How come I’ve come to uni
to play little kids’ board games? I thought I Figure 3. A group of pre-service teachers discussing potential modifications for Snakes and
was here to learn to teach mathematics’. Ladders.