Math games not only develop problem-solving, critical thinking, and logic and reasoning skills but build attention and persistence skills. Children with the ability to pay attention and persist with a task are more likely to have future academic success.
Attention & Persistence
Attention and persistence skills allow us to focus our minds on the internal and external information that matters at that moment despite obstacles or frustrations.
Young children develop the capacity to maintain attention towards objects or people for long periods of time through early experiences.
Children demonstrate attention and persistence by maintaining attention on people, things and projects and by persisting in understanding and mastering activities.
Preschoolers demonstrate their attention and persistence skills by initiating an activity and helping complete it. They practice or repeat an activity man times until successful and persist with help even if there are problems or distractions.
Play An Attention & Persistence Building Math Game
The Mouse in the House game is an example of a math game that focuses on attention and persistence skills.
Children love this little game and will play it over and over again! They enjoy the surprise of finding the mouse every time.
Set Up
- Download the print the Mouse in the House game cards.
- Cut apart the houses and mouse cards.
- Place all the House Cards face-up on the table.
- Put the Mouse Card secretly under one of the houses.
Independent Play
- Encourage children to roll the cube (optional) or choose a house and identify the color.
- Turn over the same color house and discover if the mouse is under that house.
- When the mouse if found, place it under a different house and play again.
Observe
Does the child recall the mouse is not there when she rolls the same color again? Does she stay focused on the activity until the mouse is found?
Play Mouse in the House
Download and play the Mouse in the House game.
The FREE DOWNLOAD includes house and mouse game cards.
