(Press-News.org) Contact information: Ed Hayward
ed.hayward@bc.edu
617-552-4826
Boston College
With board games, it's how children count that counts
Boston College and Carnegie Mellon researchers find 'count-on' method yields learning gains
CHESTNUT HILL, MA (Nov. 18, 2013) – Teachers and parents like to use board games to teach skills that range from fair play to counting. When it comes to improving early number skills, a new report by Boston College and Carnegie Mellon University researchers finds that how children count is what really counts.
Games like Chutes & Ladders require players to count out the spaces along which they move their tokens at each turn. Earlier studies have pointed to the benefits to young children of playing games that require counting.
The new study suggests the simple act of playing a number game may not yield the benefits earlier studies have detailed. What matters is how children count while they play, Boston College Assistant Professor of Education Elida Laski and Carnegie Mellon Professor of Psychology Robert S. Siegler report in the journal Developmental Psychology.
"We found that it's the way that children count – whether the counting procedure forces them to attend to the numbers in the spaces of a board game – that yields real benefits in the use of numbers," said Laski, a developmental psychologist. "What's most important is whether you count within a larger series of numbers, or simply start from one each time you move a piece."
The researchers tested two counting methods in a study of 40 children who played a 100-space board game designed by the researchers to mimic products like Chutes & Ladders. In the first method, referred to as "count-from-1", children started counting from the number one each time they moved a piece. In the other method, students would "count on" from the actual numerical place of their latest landing spot in the game. So a child who had moved her piece 15 spaces would "count-on" from 16 during her next move.
The process of counting on allows children to develop their ability to encode the relationship between numbers and spaces, Laski and her colleagues report in the journal article "Learning From Number Board Games: You Learn What You Encode." That, in turn, improved their abilities to estimate the size of numbers on number lines, identify numbers and to count-on.
Playing the same game, the standard "count-from-1" method led to considerably less learning, the researchers found. In a second experiment, the researchers found that students who practiced encoding numbers 1 through 100 via methods beyond a board game showed no appreciable gain in number line estimation.
The new results suggest that simply playing board games may not yield improvements in counting skills. Instead, parents and teachers need to direct children's attention to the numbers on the game boards to realize those benefits.
"Board games help children understand the magnitude of numbers by improving their abilities to estimate, to count and to identify numbers," said Laski. "But the benefits depend on how children count during the game. By counting-on, parents and their children can see some real benefits from board games. It's a simple way to enhance any game they have at home and still have fun playing it."
INFORMATION:
With board games, it's how children count that counts
Boston College and Carnegie Mellon researchers find 'count-on' method yields learning gains
2013-11-18
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Body mass index may predict heart disease risk for type-2 diabetic patients new study finds
2013-11-17
Body mass index may predict heart disease risk for type-2 diabetic patients new study finds
DALLAS – Researchers from the Intermountain Medical Center Heart Institute, in collaboration with researchers from Johns Hopkins University and the National Institutes ...
Childhood cancer treatment takes toll on hearts of survivors
2013-11-17
Childhood cancer treatment takes toll on hearts of survivors
Abstract: 10400 (Poster 2186 - Hall F, Core 2)
Cancer treatment takes a toll on the hearts of child survivors, according to research presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific ...
Heart disease no. 1 cause of pregnancy-related deaths in California
2013-11-17
Heart disease no. 1 cause of pregnancy-related deaths in California
Abstract: 18851 (Hall F, Core 2, Poster Board: 2134)
Heart disease is the leading cause of women's pregnancy-related deaths in California — but nearly one-third could be prevented, ...
Environmental toxins linked to heart defects
2013-11-17
Environmental toxins linked to heart defects
Abstract: 15332 (Hall F, Core 2, Poster Board: 2092)
Children's congenital heart defects may be associated with their mothers' exposure to specific mixtures of environmental toxins during pregnancy, according ...
'Virtual reality hands' may help stroke survivors recover hand function
2013-11-17
'Virtual reality hands' may help stroke survivors recover hand function
Abstract: 18886 (Hall F, Core 2, Poster Board: 2197)
"Virtual reality hands" — controlled by stroke survivors' thoughts — could help them recover use of their hands and arms, ...
Physical fitness improves survival, prevents some heart attacks
2013-11-17
Physical fitness improves survival, prevents some heart attacks
A new study highlights the importance of exercise and physical fitness among people with stable coronary artery disease. Researchers at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and Henry ...
Johns Hopkins heart researchers develop formula to better calculate 'bad' cholesterol in patients
2013-11-17
Johns Hopkins heart researchers develop formula to better calculate 'bad' cholesterol in patients
Findings follow previous study showing that commonly used equation underestimates heart disease danger for many at high risk
Johns Hopkins researchers have ...
Weight reduction decreases atrial fibrillation and symptom severity
2013-11-17
Weight reduction decreases atrial fibrillation and symptom severity
Chicago – Hany S. Abed, B.Pharm., M.B.B.S., of the University of Adelaide and Royal Adelaide Hospital, Adelaide, Australia and colleagues evaluated the effect of a structured ...
Method to estimate LDL-C may provide more accurate risk classification
2013-11-17
Method to estimate LDL-C may provide more accurate risk classification
Chicago – Seth S. Martin, M.D., of the Johns Hopkins Ciccarone Center for the Prevention of Heart Disease, Baltimore, and colleagues developed a method for estimating low-density lipoprotein ...
Study examines effectiveness, safety of transcatheter aortic valve replacement in US
2013-11-17
Study examines effectiveness, safety of transcatheter aortic valve replacement in US
Chicago – Michael J. Mack, M.D., of the Baylor Health Care System, Plano, Texas, and colleagues describe the experience in the U.S. with transcatheter aortic valve replacement ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
ACP’s Best Practice Advice addresses use of cannabis, cannabinoids for chronic noncancer pain
Beyond photorespiration: A systematic approach to unlocking enhanced plant productivity
How a small number of mutations can fuel outbreaks of western equine encephalitis virus
Exposure to wildfire smoke linked with worsening mental health conditions
Research uncovers hidden spread of one of the most common hospital-associated infections
Many older adults send their doctors portal messages, but who pays?
Fine particulate matter from 2020 California wildfires and mental health–related emergency department visits
Gender inequity in institutional leadership roles in US academic medical centers
Pancreatic cells ‘remember’ epigenetic precancerous marks without genetic sequence mutations
Rare combination of ovarian tumors found in one patient
AI-driven clinical recommendations may aid physician decision making to improve quality of care
Artificial intelligence has potential to aid physician decisions during virtual urgent care
ACP and Annals of Internal Medicine present breaking scientific news at ACP’s Internal Medicine Meeting 2025
New study reveals polymers with flawed fillers boost heat transfer in plastics
Signs identified that precede sudden arrhythmic death syndrome in young people
Discovery of bacteria's defence against viruses becomes a piece of the puzzle against resistance
Pre-eclampsia is associated with earlier onset and higher incidence of cardiovascular risk factors
Warwick astronomers discover doomed pair of spiralling stars on our cosmic doorstep
Soil conditions significantly increase rainfall in world’s megastorm hotspots
NK cells complexed with bispecific antibody yield high response rates in patients with lymphoma
Planetary health diet and mediterranean diet associated with similar survival and sustainability benefits
Singapore launches national standard to validate antimicrobial disinfectant products
Molecular stool test could improve detection of tuberculosis in adults with HIV
Suspected fibrocartilaginous embolus in Asian small-clawed otter (Aonyx cinereus)
Enhancing heat transfer using the turbulent flow of viscoelastic fluids
Exercise as an anti-ageing intervention to avoid detrimental impact of mental fatigue
UMass Amherst Nursing Professor Emerita honored as ‘Living Legend’
New guidelines aim to improve cystic fibrosis screening
Picky eaters by day, buffet by night: Butterfly, moth diets sync to plant aromas
Pennington Biomedical’s Dr. Leanne Redman honored with the E. V. McCollum Award from the American Society for Nutrition
[Press-News.org] With board games, it's how children count that countsBoston College and Carnegie Mellon researchers find 'count-on' method yields learning gains