Domino Double-up

Dominoes are a useful manipulative for math skills. The can be used to develop many different math skills.

- Use dominoes for children to count the dots on each side of the domino.

- Use dominoes to "subitize", which is the immediate recognition of quantity. After some practice, children should recognize the number of dots one a dominoe without counting them.

- Use dominoes to practice math facts. They are especially useful for addition facts because children can count the total of dots when the sides are combined. It would be helpful to write the numbers and addition sentence associated with the domino. For example, if a domino has 3 dots on one side, and 5 dots on the other, help the child write 3 + 5 = and have them solve the math fact. Eventually, they can write the entire number sentence.

- Use dominoes to prove the "commutative property of addition", with "turn around" facts. If your domino has a 3 + 5, or 5 + 3, the sum is the same.