When a child learns to read, she can practice those skills by reading for pleasure. In the same way, these card games combine practice with pleasure. Although learning math requires hard work, it need not be unpleasant. When a person is interested in and loves his work, he can more easily tackle the distasteful segments found in any activity.
These games allow adults and children of various ages and abilities to play together. It does away with anxiety-producing flash cards, which cast the parent or teacher in the role of judge. The only person who enjoys flash cards is the person who doesn’t need them. Games create a stress-free atmosphere that allows all to learn at their own pace. And the parent or teacher becomes a partner in the learning process.
There is another reason to make mathematics enjoyable for children. Along with the information recorded in our memories are the feelings we experienced when we learned it. These feelings are recalled along with the fact or experience. For this reason, information stored with negative feelings tends to be forgotten. Therefore, it is important that learning be a pleasant experience. When children recall feelings of discovery and success, they will want to continue learning and will apply that knowledge to other areas. However, children who associate math with feelings of failure and inadequacy will find learning difficult, and worse yet, they will ignore applications to daily life.
