The commercial games and resources highlighted on this website have all been used in a number of elementary school classrooms. These are articles that outline what I found in the research . These articles offer rationale for the use of games and recommendations for how to implement board games as a tool for learning.
- Ready, SET, Play: Learning Elementary School Mathematics through an Attribute-based Game
McFeetors, P. J., & Ireland, K. (2016). Ready, SET, play: Learning elementary school mathematics through an attribute-based game. Delta-k: Journal of the Mathematics Council of the Alberta Teachers’ Association, 53(2), 38-47.- Board Games as Play-full Pedagogical Pivots for STEM Teaching and Learning
Higgins, M., & McFeetors, P. J. (2019). Board games as play-full pedagogical pivots for STEM teaching and learning. Journal of the Canadian Association for Curriculum Studies, 17(1), 90-110. https://jcacs.journals.yorku.ca/index.php/jcacs/article/view/40426/36422- Experiencing Geometric Thinking and Language through Commercial Games
McFeetors, P. J., & Wing, M. (2020). Experiencing geometric thinking and language through commercial games. Vector, 61(2), 9-15.- Generative Unit Assessment: Authenticity in mathematics Classroom Assessment Practices
McFeetors, P. J., Marynowski, R. & Candler, A. (2021). Generative unit assessment: Authenticity in mathematics classroom assessment practices. Education Sciences, 11(7), article 366. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci11070366- Logical Reasoning in Action(s)
Mann, M., & McFeetors, P. J. (2024). Logical reasoning in action(s). Vector, 65(1), 9-16.
Looking for more research on board games in math class? Here are additional resources!
- Educative Experiences in a Games Context: Supporting Emerging Mathematical Reasoning
(pp. 737-740) - Developing Mathematical Processes through Commercial Games (p. 424)
- Generative Unit Assessment: Re-visioning Assessment for Growth (poster)
- Developing Mathematical Processes through Commercial Games (poster)
- Understanding Teachers’ Educative Play with STEM Games (poster)
- Co-enactment of Spatial and Logical Reasoning in Game Play: The Case of Santorini (poster)
- Exploring Spatial and Logical Reasoning with Santorini Gameplay
There is even more research however, these articles require subscriptions to access:
- McFeetors, P. J., & Mason, R. T. (2009). Learning deductive reasoning with games of logic. Mathematics Teacher, 103(4), 284-290. https://doi.org/10.2307/20876607
- McFeetors, P. J., & Palfy, K. (2017). We’re in math class playing games, not playing games in math class. Mathematics Teaching in the Middle School, 22(9), 534-544. https://doi.org/10.5951/mathteacmiddscho.22.9.0534
- McFeetors, P. J., & Palfy, K. (2018). Educative experiences in a games context: Supporting emerging reasoning in elementary school mathematics. Journal of Mathematical Behavior, 50, 103-125. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmathb.2018.02.003
- McFeetors, P. J., & MacDonald, B. (2020). Learning geometry through commercial games. Australian Primary Mathematics Classroom, 25(3), 34-40.
- McFeetors, P. J., Jin, Q., & Ahmed, N. (2023). Spatial and logical reasoning in game play: The case of Santorini. Ontario Mathematics Gazette, 62(2), 28-34.