Are You the King, or Are You the Joker?

The following sections are included:

• CONTENTS

• PREFACE

• INTRODUCTION

Using two different packs of cards, arrange the cards face-down in the manner shown in the Figure. Encourage the child to help you to do it,- and then to follow your example; and finally to do it all by himself….

Game 2 appears superficially to be similar to Game 1, but there is a significant step upwards in terms of intellectual challenge. As in Game 1, arrange four red cards and four black cards in two rectangular blocks (see Figure)….

Once the child is able to group according to colours, move upwards and encourage the child to group according to suits. This requires him to separate the red hearts from the red diamonds, and the black spades from the black clubs (see Figure). In other words, his powers of differentiation are being sharpened, moving from colour to suits. Point out to him that the names of the four suits are spades, hearts, diamonds and clubs….

This game requires some preparation on the part of parents/grandparents. Take out all the 2's and the 10's (four cards each). Ask the child to arrange them according to the quantities of objects in the card, (see Figure). The child has to ignore all the characteristics except for the quantities, putting the 2's together (regardless of suit or colour) and the 10's together. The child is in the process of learning to associate three items — namely the sound “two”; the quantity signifying “two” and the integer “2” in the corner of the card. The same mental processes apply for “ten”….

Extract all the cards of one particular suit (I use “hearts” whenever possible, because of its brisht red colour as well as its very positive connotation of “love” the child). Show the child how you can line the cards up, beginning with A (explain to the child that A means 1 in cards), 2, 3, … 9, 10. Then encourage the child to do the same (with cards from another pack), using your row as a model. It may take the younger child a while to understand. Be patient….

When the child is comfortable with the first five games and the different variations that parents/ grandparents create for them, the child is ready for game 6 — which features the culmination of the multiple characteristics in cards….

Games 5 and 6 informally and intuitively (introduced the child to the concept of quantities, with some cards having more objects than others. In Game 7, we want to make explicit the concept of “greater than”, a important mathematical concept used extensively in later years in school….

Game 8 is the converse of Game 7. Most children who can play Game 7 will have no difficulty with Game 8. Again it is useful to play Game 8, to ensure explicitly that the child understands the concept of “less than”….

This is one of the most important games in this book, and can be the basis of a lot of math learning. Addition creates the foundation for math excellence, and hence special attention to a child's mastery of addition is essential for future progress in math….

For adults, substraction is just the converse of addition. But for a child, the two concepts, though related, are different; and it may require some mental adjustment for the child to understand the concept of subtraction fully….

Multiplication is simply repeated addition, e.g. “3 times 2” is the same as “2 plus 2 plus 2”. Vet most children have difficult with multiplication. Many schools resort to rote-learning by having the children chant the “times-tables”….

To adults, division is just the converse or opposite of multiplication — “no big deal”. But to most children, division is one of the most difficult of the arithmetical skills that they have to acquire. It is even more difficult then multiplication. Hence parents/grandparents should take their time and introduce the “division” game to their child gently, slowly, without rushing him into it until he is comfortable with his addition, subtraction and multiplication. “More haste, less speed” will apply if the child's foundation with the three earlier skills are not strongly grounded….

Up till now, we have been playing games with only the numbered cards, excluding the “picture” cards. In this game, parents/grandparents will use the picture cards and introduce the concept of symbols slowly to their child, in two stages:

1. Explain to the child that the “K” in the corner of the card is an abbreviation of “King”. Point out the crown on the King's head, his luxurious clothes, etc,- “Q” is for Queen,- and “J” is for Jack; you can give a simple explanation that Jack is an assistant to the King and Queen.

2. When the child is familiar with K, Q and J, explain that for some games, J can be taken to represent 11; Q, 12; and K, 13. You can now reintroduce A which stands for 1, so that the child is familiar with all the symbols in the suit.

In mathematics, sets are a way of putting together different objects into different groups, classes or categories with common characteristics. The mathematical term for such groupings is “sets”….

Probability is one of the more difficult branches of mathematics, as well as in real life application of mathematics. Hence it is useful for the child to be introduced to the concept of “probability” the fun way throush cards….

This game gave my two grandchildren aged 4 and 6, endless hours of fun. We call it “Tee Taa Too” (You too can invent your own nonsensical funny sounding names for any of the games, as long as it makes it more fun for the family Children love funny sounds K A for all kinds of activities and objects: see e.g. “Lolla-Lee-Lou” “Oompa-Loompas”, and “Vbnghy-Bonghy-Bo”, in the writings by “Dr Suess”, Roald Dahl and Edward Lear, respectively)….

While J, Q and K can be used to represent 11,12 and 13 respectively in sequence arransements, and 10's for “fishing”, the “Joker” takes the idea of variability even further. The “Joker” can be used to represent any number from 1 to 10, in “fishing”, and any card from 1–K in “SNAP” and “Gin-Rummy”.

“Playing cards” with our child have brought us to the point when they can do “real math” — simple arithmetic and algebra—the fun way. Most important of all, the child had enjoyed the games, enjoyed playing with parents/grandparents, and enjoyed learning vital, valuable and critical life-long skills. If we have succeeded so far, he would come to like math, or even to love math, as many mathematicians, scientists, engineers and other professionals do….

The following sections are included:

• APPENDIX
  • “SNAP”
  • “SIMPLE GIN–RUMMY”
  • “ARE YOU THE KING OR ARE YOU THE JOKER?”

• POST–APPENDIX
  • PROBABILITY EXAMPLES