Calculator Fives

This is another clear board game designed to help children develop confidence with products and factors.

The focus here is on the five times-table.

The download* consists of a single A4 game board. Let the children work in pairs with a set of counters and a calculator. In their turn they must aim to cover a number on the board. Except for zero, all of the numbers on the board have 5 as a factor. The children need to identify the number which when multiplied by 5 will produce their chosen number.

For example:

• to cover 35 the player must state "7 times 5" and then use the calculator to prove that 7 x 5 = 35
• to cover 115 the player must state "23 times 5" and then use the calculator to prove that 23 x 5 = 35

The calculator should only be used to prove the result of the multiplication - not to determine the missing factor.

Encourage the children to develop strategies for finding the missing factors. For example, with 115, children could use the fact that there are twenty 5's in 100, and three 5's in 15 to help them 'deduce' the missing factor.

Play alternates between the players and the winner is the first person to create one of the winning pentomino patterns. Note: the winning patterns should still be accepted even if rotated.

As with the Calculator Doubles Game, to play strategically, the children need to investigate the board and choose target numbers carefully. Consequently, the game encourages children to undertake a larger range of number calculations than it may first appear.

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