ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book addresses instructional decisions related to games and puzzles in the classroom. It supports teacher orchestration of gaming and puzzling and assessment of student learning. The book focuses on content-specific games and puzzles arranged by content focus: base ten numeration; addition and subtraction; multiplication and division; mixed operations; and fractions. Games and puzzles based on logical thinking are often linked to mathematics. Out of school, they are considered recreational. In school, they often provide opportunities for students to practice skills. Games and puzzles are included in most mathematics curriculum resources, and teachers might offer them as a choice at a center, as an independent activity during math workshop, or as a rotation during instructional time.
