Featured Games:   Contig and Contig Jr. In the Contig Game students toss three dice.   They use those three numbers and any operations to form a number on the game mat.   Players earn an extra point for each covered number the new number touches, so students quickly learn to search for the best move that will yield the maximum possible points.   The instructional benefit of the game is that students try many different combinations in search of that best move. Contig Jr. is designed to provide that same format for younger students who need to develop mastery of addition and subtraction facts. Download the Contig Game gameboard and rules Download the Contig Jr. Game gameboard and rules The online lesson plan for The Game of Contig: Fun with Math Facts offers variations of the standard Contig gameboard available to download.

Contig is a very effective game that encourages students to master basic facts (+ - x /) in order to get the most points with each play. Contig Jr. is designed to provide that same format for younger students who need to develop mastery of addition and subtraction facts.

• Download the directions and game board for Contig
• Download the directions and game board for Contig Jr.

How to play Contig Jr.: Player 1 tosses 3 dice. He/she then uses those 3 numbers and the operations of addition and subtraction to make an answer that is on the game board. For example, if the player threw 3, 5 and 2, the player could form these numbers. 3 + 5 + 2 = 10 3 + 5 - 2 = 6 3 + 2 - 5 = 0 5 + 2 - 3 = 4 The player may mark an X on any one of these numbers (10, 6, 0 or 4) anywhere on the board. He/she gets a point for being able to make an X on the game board. If his/her X touches other X's around it, the player gets an additional point for each X it touches (even at corners). Players learn to select the number that touches the most other X's to get the most points. With more experience, players learn to try out all of the different possible combinations, as listed above, in search of the number that will give them the most points. When players reach this stage, it is optimal play for the development of "fact power" as they mentally rehearse lots of different combinations in search of the perfect move.

Number Sense Games

These games provide mixed practice in all operations as students try several different combinations in search of the winning move.   Because players have the opportunity to score extra points, they are highly motivated to mentally calculate many options in search of the move that yields the most points.

• Online directions for the Everyday Math game Name That Number
• Play the Everyday Math game Name That Number Game online.
• Download Contig Game which requires students to use any operations and the numbers generated by tossing three dice to form a number on the game mat.   Players earn an extra point for each covered number the new number touches, prompting students to try several number combinations in search of the best move.
• Download Contig Jr. Game which requires students to use addition and/or subtraction and the numbers generated by tossing three dice to form a number on the game mat.   Players earn an extra point for each covered number the new number touches, prompting students to try several number combinations in search of the best move.
• The online lesson plan for The Game of Contig: Fun with Math Facts offers variations of the standard Contig gameboard available to download.
• Download Tribulation Game requires students to find three numbers in a row on the game mat (horizontally, vertically or diagonally) that can be used to form the target number.
• See Number Sense Activities for a discussion of the Climb the Ladder game and ways to differentiate practice for students of varied abilities.
• See More Number Sense Activities for a discussion of Contig, 24 Game and Tribulation games in more depth.