Primary Five, Six and Seven used the DSi to beat their recorded time on Brain training. The DSi encouraged and motivated the children as well as sharpen their mental maths agility. They loved the challenge of beating their own score and that of others in the class. The children did get frustrated when the DSi didn’t recognise their figures but they enjoyed the novelty of using it in school. The DSi is a useful maths resource and a great incentive for the children to complete work too.
P7 enjoying using DSi’s for their mental maths.
The children really benefitted from using the DSI’s to enhance their mental maths skills.:) They viewed it as a fun way to learn and were sad to see them go 🙁
Class set of Nintendo Ds were borrowed by New Monkland Primary School.
Primaries 2 – 7 were timetabled 1 week access. The children were very so excited about having
them in their class. The software was more suited to the upper school. Primary 7 used them
as part of problem solving / active maths lessons.
We borrowed 10 Nintendo DS with the intention of using the Brain Training in P.4. However, after a trial period it was decided it was more suited to the upper school.
They were used in active maths lessons in P.7 each day. The children were keen to improve their scores and stayed motivated throughout the block.
We initially borrowed a box of 9 NIntendo DS to use in our Gadgets and Gizmos Golden Time Club. When they arrived we tried out the Brain Training games and found how useful they would be during maths to promote recall of facts and to help children to revise number processes. They were timetabled during all active maths lessons throughout the school and children loved using them. They concentrated more, stayed focussed longer and were keen to use them.
Here are some of the children’s comments. “I liked the DS because you got to play brain games. ” “There were great challenges and you got to test yourself.”
Improving children’s mental maths skills. Using DS Brain Training to give children another interesting and stimulating resource to enjoy maths.
One group per week used DS’s as an extension to their teaching and maths tasks. Children were competing against each other, trying to beat each other’s scores and times. Motivating children to finish tasks to move on to a stimulating extension activity.
Borrowing for longer periods of time would be beneficial to make sure all children get a chance to use these.
Dawn Finnigan
