SILLY SIXES (and more) - Dice Game(s)
Grade Levels:  1 - 3
Materials:  10-20 dice per student
            and
            a styrofoam meat tray or box lid with sides for each student 
            (or 2 students if you need to stretch it)
Objective:  The students will learn addition/subtraction math facts and 
            fact families through 12 (or higher if you choose to vary it).  
            They also develop problem-solving strategies to play the game(s).
     
Procedure:  Each child is given a tray with 10-20 dice.  (If necessary, 
            each pair of children may work with one tray of 20 dice.)  
            For Silly Sixes, their task is to find as many sixes as they 
            can singly or in terms of combinations (e.g., a single 6, a 
            combination of 2+2+2, a combination of 4+2, etc.).  They may 
            remove these from their tray as they find them.  When they can 
            go no further, they may shake their remaining dice on the tray 
            and continue until all dice are removed.
Variations: My class begins with Terrific Twos using the same process as 
            described above and proceeds to Thrilling Threes, Fabulous Fours,
            Fantastic Fives, through Silly Sixes, on to Special Sevens, 
            Awesome Eights, Nifty Nines, Tremendous Tens, Elegant Elevens, 
            and Trendy Twelves.  Next semester, We'll continue up through 
            Nice Nineteens.  For subtraction, my children incorporate these 
            facts as they develop fact family awareness.  Either show them 
            individually as they seem ready (e.g., "I see you have a 
            fabulous four here:  6-2=4.")  or incorporate as you are teaching
            a fact family (e.g., 6+4=10 so 10-6=4 and 10-4=6).  Some children
            ask as they are playing the game with addition if they can use a 
            subtraction fact to get the number.
These games are a big hit in my 1-2 mulitage classroom, and the children 
learn their facts very quickly while still at their own pace.  My more able 
students develop variations as well (doubles, neighbors, fast nines).  My 
students who are struggling enjoy playing because they can be successful 
and take risks that pull them up. 
--- Renegade v10-05 Exp
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