Nerdy Millennial

Top Menu

  • About
  • Contact
  • Write For Us

Main Menu

  • Career
    • Entrepreneurship
    • Blogging
      • Social Media
      • SEO and Keyword Research
  • College
  • Arts & Culture
  • Technology
  • Health and Fitness
    • Nutrition
    • Recipes
      • Baked Goods
      • Breakfast
      • Condiments
      • Dessert
      • Fermented Foods
      • Main Dishes
      • Side Dishes
      • Snacks
      • Soup
    • Keto
    • Vegan
  • Relationships
    • Dating
    • Friendship
    • Parenting
    • Pregnancy & Birth
  • About
  • Contact
  • Write For Us

Nerdy Millennial

Nerdy Millennial

  • Career
    • Entrepreneurship
    • Blogging
      • Social Media
      • SEO and Keyword Research
  • College
  • Arts & Culture
  • Technology
  • Health and Fitness
    • Nutrition
    • Recipes
      • Baked Goods
      • Breakfast
      • Condiments
      • Dessert
      • Fermented Foods
      • Main Dishes
      • Side Dishes
      • Snacks
      • Soup
    • Keto
    • Vegan
  • Relationships
    • Dating
    • Friendship
    • Parenting
    • Pregnancy & Birth
Education
Home›Education›Introducing Math Concepts With Dice

Introducing Math Concepts With Dice

By Aadel Bussinger
June 20, 2018
1295
0

Humans have a historically documented fascination with dice. They are the oldest game implements known to man. From “casting lots” in the Bible to backgammon in Ancient Iran, dice games have been around as long as recorded history.

It is no wonder that these simple formed shapes keep the attention of children. Kids love hands-on activities and dice are easily manipulated.

Playing simple games with dice seems like all to easy a pastime to constitute anything of worth. However, children can be introduced to a number of mathematical concepts using these deceivingly plain devices.

A few notes:

  • Besides the traditional cube, or 6-sided die, there are a number of polyhedral dice (many-sided) that can be found online or in local game or comic shops.
  • Dice are often referred to by their side. For instance, a D20 refers to a 20-sided die. Dice can come in a variety of shapes and sides. D6, D8, D10, and D20 are usually the most commonly found.

Basic Number Facts, Operations, and Sets

By simply handling and manipulating dice, children can become aware of both the numeral and name of basic numbers. The use of some D6 or D10 dice can introduce younger children to number order, addition, subtraction, and other operations.

Traditional dice games like Yahtzee and Farkle combine number operations with the concept of a set of numbers.

Geometry

When you are investigating the dice, make sure you point out their shape. Most dice are platonic solids, meaning each face has the same shape with congruent edges and vertices.

There are even dice that use irregular forms of geometry for their shape. Dipyramids are two sets of triangles arranged around an equator. An isosceles tetrahedron looks like four stretched out triangles stacked on each other.

Discuss each shape with your child. Count the number of faces, sides, and vertices and look up what geometrical shape it represents. Talk about whether the dice is “fair”. Is there a possibility the rolls could favor one side of the die? Roll the dice a number of times and record your rolls to find out if is fair.

Probability

If you are playing Yahtzee and you have rolled four 6's and just need one more, what are the chances that you will roll a 6 in one roll? What about 2 rolls?

The theory of probability deals with chance and randomness. In figuring out the chances of rolling a 6 in the scenario above, you are trying to predict how likely it is that a certain event will happen. With dice, it is pretty simple because you can roll the dice and record your findings.

There are a lot of sites that deal with the probability sets of rolling 6-sided dice. As a family, try figuring out probabilities for D10's, D8's or even D20's.

Algebraic Expression

Did you know that there is a standard dice notation? People who play role-playing games often use this type of language to keep track of rolls on different shaped dice.

The notation is fairly simple to understand, but it incorporates some algebraic expression that you could easily point out to your children.

When you begin to explore the mathematical concepts hidden within a game of dice, start off fun and move towards the serious. Let your kids play with the dice and notice the differences and similarities between the shapes. Get a variety of colors and styles to peak their interest.

You can also create your own polyhedral dice using these platonic solids models.

  • Author
  • Recent Posts
Aadel Bussinger
Aadel Bussinger
Aadel has been married to her career Army man for 13 years and they have 2 daughters and a freshly made son. She is a homeschooling mom, volunteer, and online college student. Her hobbies include cooking, organic gardening, sewing, and crocheting.
Aadel Bussinger
Latest posts by Aadel Bussinger (see all)
  • The Importance of Developing a Sober Mind in Our Students - February 22, 2019
  • Teaching Children At Natural Development Points - February 21, 2019
  • Dealing With The Fears Of Unlimited Game and Media Time - January 20, 2019

Leave a reply Cancel reply

Recipe Rating




Send Me Blog Updates!

You Might Also Like...

  • 4 Enticing Reasons to be Single
    DatingFeatured

    4 Enticing Reasons to be Single

  • FeaturedHealth and Fitness

    What is the Difference between Full-Spectrum, Broad-Spectrum, and Isolate CBD

  • 5 Steps to Eat Sustainable Local Food All Year Long
    NutritionFeaturedGreen Living

    5 Steps to Eat Sustainable Local Food All Year Long

  • How ASMR and Sound Healing Combat Stress and Burnout
    FeaturedHealth and FitnessMental Health

    How ASMR and Sound Healing Combat Stress and Burnout

About Nerdy Millennial

Hello, I'm Vanessa

Creator and curator of Nerdy Millennial.

This blog all about millennials sharing their passion, ideas, and expertise about blogging, healthy living, self-improvement, education, parenting, and more!

Interested in contributing? Contact us to pitch your idea or submit an article.

Featured

Frugal LivingFeaturedFinancesParenting

The 7 Money-Saving Strategies Every Parent Needs to Know

No matter how “ready” you feel to become a parent, once it happens, you realize there is no amount of preparation to adequately brace you for the total life transformation ...
  • Becoming an Online Counselor: The Pros and Credentials Needed

    Becoming an Online Counselor: The Pros and Credentials Needed

    By Vanessa Pruitt
    August 13, 2020
  • 4 Steps to Finding the Best Counselor for You

    4 Steps to Finding the Best Counselor for You

    By Vanessa Pruitt
    August 13, 2020
  • Pros and Cons of Online Counseling

    The Pros and Cons of Online Counseling

    By Vanessa Pruitt
    August 13, 2020
  • What is the Difference between Full-Spectrum, Broad-Spectrum, and Isolate CBD

    By Contributing Author
    August 11, 2020
  • How Lack of Boundaries and Dishonored Feelings Affect Your Mental and Physical Health

    How Lack of Boundaries and Dishonored Feelings Affect Your Mental and Physical Health

    By Vanessa Pruitt
    July 24, 2020
  • The Importance of Practicing Gratefulness During Times of Uncertainty

    The Importance of Practicing Gratefulness During Times of Uncertainty

    By Vanessa Pruitt
    July 16, 2020
  • 6 Ways to Naturally Freshen Your Home

    6 Ways to Naturally Freshen Your Home

    By Vanessa Pruitt
    July 14, 2020
  • Ways to Filter Your Facebook Feed and Posts

    Ways to Filter Your Facebook Feed and Posts

    By Vanessa Pruitt
    July 13, 2020
  • Why visit Rome in December

    6 Reasons to Go to Rome in December

    By Vanessa Pruitt
    July 6, 2020

    Join Us on Facebook

    Latest Comments

    • Turn Your Love of Fitness Into a Career
      on
      November 26, 2020
      […] you might want to consider getting into some sport professionally, or even just on a ...

      9 Ways to Turn Your Fitness Into A Career

    • https://apnews.com/article/7799dc8a7083f61bb1c9f1f3dba8c30a
      on
      November 25, 2020
      Trackback [...]https://apnews.com/article/7799dc8a7083f61bb1c9f1f3dba8c30a

      Are Pre and Post Workout Supplements Worth It? 3 Questions to Ask Yourself

    • Dr. Oz Answers
      on
      July 23, 2020
      Trackback [...]Dr. Oz Answers

      Are Pre and Post Workout Supplements Worth It? 3 Questions to Ask Yourself

    • Some Careers That Challenge You Each Day - CareerAlley
      on
      June 9, 2020
      […] development might not be about saving lives but it’s certainly a career that challenges you ...

      How To Build On Your Career

    • 4 Surprising Benefits of Using Instagram for Your Business - Atelier Magazine
      on
      June 3, 2020
      […] More brands are combining Instagram approaches into their marketing strategies, and it leads to business ...

      A Guide to Creating Your Instagram Strategy

    Flickr

      • Home
      • About
      • Contact Us
      • Write For Us
      • Comment Policy
      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms of Use
      We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
      Cookie settingsACCEPT
      Manage consent

      Privacy Overview

      This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
      Necessary
      Always Enabled

      Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.

      Non-necessary

      Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.

      SAVE & ACCEPT