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How to Play
Educational Standards
Math
- Operations and Algebraic Thinking
- Add and subtract within 20: Grade Level 2nd
- Standards for Mathematical Practice
- Reason abstractly and quantitatively: Grade Level 2nd, 3rd
Skills
Explore
What Does Child Do To Use Skill In The Game?
In Betcha Can't Win, players look at the rolled dice to evaluate if any combination of rolled dice add up to numbers on the Number Cards.
How Parents Can Assist Learning
No special adult support required.
Learning Implications and Educator Support
No special adult support required.
Determine
What Does Child Do To Use Skill In The Game?
Players combine dice together to determine which are the best combinations for scoring, and whether to roll again. They also need to determine whether to pursue Unsecured Cards or one or more of the Numbered Cards in the play area.
How Parents Can Assist Learning
After rolling, encourage children to move dice around into different arrangements in order to evaluate each scoring option. Also, to help children develop patience and precision, encourage them to look closely at the dice in order to ensure they are scoring properly, and to look at all of the face up cards, including Unsecured Cards.
Learning Implications and Educator Support
Scoring in Betcha Can't Win involves symbolic meaning. The value of the cards is based on their color, not their number value. You may need to remind children of this scoring method to help them make choice for which cards to try to match. After rolling, encourage children to move dice around into different arrangements in order to evaluate each scoring option. Also, to help children develop patience and precision, encourage them to look closely at the dice in order to ensure they are scoring properly, and to look at all of the face up cards, including Unsecured Cards. Also, educators can ask questions to help children consider strategic options. For example, "How will another player react if you try to match their Unsecured Card?" or "Does another player have more points than you? Make sure to look at the color of their cards."
Compare
What Does Child Do To Use Skill In The Game?
Players compare the different dice and scoring combinations. They also compare their score to opponents as part of planning and strategizing choices.
How Parents Can Assist Learning
After rolling, encourage children to move dice around into different arrangements in order to evaluate each scoring option. Also, to help children develop patience and precision, encourage them to look closely at the dice in order to ensure they are scoring properly, and to look at all of the face up cards, including Unsecured Cards. Additionally, remind them to look at the cumulative scores of their opponents which can influence their risk/reward assessment of whether to roll again, stop rolling or try to take an Unsecured Card. Young children may be inclined to act impulsively. Encourage children to think about what might happen with another roll, whether to try to match an Unsecured Card, to leave dice on a Numbered Card, etc.
Learning Implications and Educator Support
After rolling, encourage children to move dice around into different arrangements in order to evaluate each scoring option. Also, to help children develop patience and precision, encourage them to look closely at the dice in order to ensure they are scoring properly, and to look at all of the face up cards, including Unsecured Cards. Additionally, remind them to look at the cumulative scores of their opponents which can influence their risk/reward assessment of whether to roll again, stop rolling or try to take an Unsecured Card.
Remember
What Does Child Do To Use Skill In The Game?
After playing numerous times, players will begin to remember prior decisions and outcomes. This will influence their ability to make risk-reward analysis on current rolls of the dice.
How Parents Can Assist Learning
If you see a child in a situation that is similar to a prior game, remind her or him what happened last time. This will help the child think more thoroughly and reduce impulsivity.
Learning Implications and Educator Support
If you see a child in a situation that is similar to a prior game, remind her or him what happened last time. This will help the child think more thoroughly and reduce impulsivity.
Predict
What Does Child Do To Use Skill In The Game?
Predicting is essential to Betcha Can't Win. On every turn after the initial roll, the player rolling the dice is predicting what numbers may come up in order to decide whether to roll again or stop their turn.
How Parents Can Assist Learning
If you see a child in a situation that is similar to a prior game, remind her or him what happened last time. This will help the child think more thoroughly and assess risk/reward of rolling or stopping. Parents can prompt children to practice predicting by asking them to think how many dice they will have left to throw and what chances are they will throw what they want. They can also make predictions about what the opponent will do after they have their first throw.
Learning Implications and Educator Support
Predicting involves skills like analysis, observation, empathy and interpretation. Also, children need to learn how to change perspective, imagining being their opponent, in order to have optimal predicting skills. Educators can prompt children to practice predicting by asking them to think the opponents will do on their next turn. Playing Betcha Can't Win requires analyzing the odds of rolling scoring dice and whether the potential additional score is worth the risk of having your dice left on Numbered Cards without making a match. There is additional risk-reward analysis by players in deciding whether to pursue an Unsecured Card, and what value of Numbered Cards to try to match (since lower valued cards are easier to match). All of this risk-reward analysis and choice-making is driven by making hypotheses and predictions.
Plan
What Does Child Do To Use Skill In The Game?
Because the Betcha Can't Win is constantly changing as opponents roll dice and make moves, it is very hard to plan for a specific outcome. Players can try to set up dice on cards for future turns, but are primarily Predicting what they think may or may not occur.
How Parents Can Assist Learning
No special adult support required.
Learning Implications and Educator Support
No special adult support required.
Experiment
What Does Child Do To Use Skill In The Game?
Players may experiment with more or less risky strategies. For example, a more aggressive strategy would involve trying to match higher valued cards and taking Unsecured Cards from other players.
How Parents Can Assist Learning
No special parent support required.
Learning Implications and Educator Support
No special educator support required.
Practice
What Does Child Do To Use Skill In The Game?
The more they play, the more players will increase their understanding of the odds of successfully rolling scoring dice on a turn.
How Parents Can Assist Learning
The more proficient children become in understanding the odds, the more accurate their risk-reward analysis and choices will be.
Learning Implications and Educator Support
The more proficient children become in understanding the odds, the more accurate their risk-reward analysis and choices will be.
Solve
What Does Child Do To Use Skill In The Game?
Players rely heavily on prediction and analysis to solve the goal of the game, scoring the most points based on value of cards collected. On every turn after the initial roll, the player rolling the dice is predicting what numbers may come up in order to decide whether to make the roll or end the turn. They also resolve each turn by taking any Numbered Cards that they matched, which become Unsecured Cards.
How Parents Can Assist Learning
Encourage children to stop and think before rolling again. This will help reduce impulsivity and increase their ability to consider the risk-reward of rolling versus stopping their turn with the current Cards they have matched. Also, draw children's attention the Unsecured Cards of opponents in order to potentially prevent an opponent from scoring on their next turn.
Learning Implications and Educator Support
Solving in this game is aligned to predicting and strategic thinking, therefore, it involves skills like analysis, observation, empathy and interpretation. Also, children need to learn how to change perspective, imagining being their opponent. Educators can prompt children to practice predicting by asking them to think about what the opponents will do on their next turn. Playing Betcha Can't Win requires analyzing the odds of rolling scoring dice and whether the potential additional score is worth the risk of having your dice left on Numbered Cards without making a match. There is additional risk-reward analysis by players in deciding whether to pursue an Unsecured Card, and what value of Numbered Cards to try to match (since lower valued cards are easier to match). All of this risk-reward analysis and choice-making is driven by making hypotheses and predictions, which is foundational for strategic thinking.
Review
What Does Child Do To Use Skill In The Game?
Children may voluntarily analyze their risk assessment and decision making during and after the game.
How Parents Can Assist Learning
If children do not spontaneously share their analysis, encourage them to discuss the results of different decisions they made. Adults can model this for them by sharing what happened as a result of their decisions about strategies.
Learning Implications and Educator Support
If children do not spontaneously share their analysis, encourage them to discuss the results of different decisions they made. Adults can model this for them by sharing what happened as a result of their decisions about strategies.
Demonstrate
What Does Child Do To Use Skill In The Game?
Players demonstrate by verbally adding up the points at the end of the game.
How Parents Can Assist Learning
No special adult support required.
Learning Implications and Educator Support
No special adult support required.
*Data compiled from CCSSI ELA Standards, WA Science Standards, and Washington Social Studies Standards
Special Needs
Cognitive
Suggestions for How to Modify Play Experience
For children with cognitive delays, play with three dice, and play with only blue and green cards for lower numbers.
Children may miss or count dice twice, if they are added where they land when thrown. Encourage children to line up the dice in rows with the larger numbers in one row and matching or smaller numbers in another. This will help them organize their addition options.
Communication
Suggestions for How to Modify Play Experience
Communication is not necessary, but other players will want to be able to see the dice to check addition.
Children can be encouraged to add their dice aloud, but if this is not possible, they can use sign or demonstrate with fingers if needed.
Sensorimotor
Suggestions for How to Modify Play Experience
Use a cup for tipping over the dice. This will help children who have difficulty controlling a dice throw.
Have another player arrange the dice in an organized way to help the child add in a linear manner.
Social Emotional/Behavioral
Suggestions for How to Modify Play Experience
Children who have attention, impulsivity, or frustration tolerance issues may do better with fewer dice. Eliminate the highest value cards (yellow) and play with just 4 dice.
For children with low frustration tolerance, allow them to secure their card after the next player's turn. This allows for some risk of loss, but not as much as if all players must take a turn before securing the card.
Vision
Suggestions for How to Modify Play Experience
If children have severe vision issues the game is not recommended.
Trace the numbers on the cards with a black marker to provide extra vision contrast (especially yellow, which has the least contrast to the background). Substitute large dice made for children with vision impairment.
The values written on the cards are very small, so write the card value numbers in large print on a piece of paper (YELLOW = 20 POINTS).
Hearing
Suggestions for How to Modify Play Experience
Hearing should not be an issue if players can see the dice to check addition. Teach players the signs for numbers, so all can use them in the game.
*Data compiled from CCSSI ELA Standards, WA Science Standards, and Washington Social Studies Standards
Autism
Autism Strengths & Interests
Short Summary of Strengths & Interests
- Is good at strategic thinking
- Can pay attention to the actions of other players
- Likes math, especially addition
Is good at matching visual items
This game is not appropriate
Has a good memory for sensory details, including visual, touch, taste and smell
This game is not appropriate
Has a good memory for words, phrases and dialouge
This game is not appropriate
Has a good memory for pictures, numbers and patterns
Is This Game Appropriate? Yes
Description
Children who are good at addition will strengthen that skill playing Betcha Can't Win. On each turn, they are able to add up different values on dice rolled in order to try to equal the value of the unsecured cards. Also, since the dice have dots representing amounts, children can also use counting to determine values. The more they play, the more the children will learn patterns for combining dice quickly to determine a total value.
Likes to put things in order or a sequence
This game is not appropriate
Learns through visualizing or "replaying" actions in their mind
This game is not appropriate
Likes activities with rules, such as math and phonics
Is This Game Appropriate? Yes
Description
Betcha Can't Win is based on addition, which is concrete and clearly rule based. Additionally, the game has relatively simple rules to guide a player's strategic thinking. Thus, children with autism who like math or other activities with clear, concrete rules will likely enjoy playing Betcha Can't Win.
Is very concrete and literal
This game is not appropriate
Learns in small "chunks" (for example, phone numbers are 3 chunks of number xxx-xxx-xxxx that are combined together)
This game is not appropriate
Is good at nonverbal reasoning and logic
Is This Game Appropriate? Yes
Description
For many children with autism, numbers provide a type of language that is predictable and nonthreatening. Once they have the essential addition skills (i.e. adding up to 30), they will enjoy the ability to demonstrate their reasoning by manipulating numbers as they roll and select dice to create matching values to the cards. Also, children can use non-verbal reasoning in assessing how well another player is doing in order to determine whether to try to take an unsecured card from that player. If children enjoy dice counting games, they will most likely do well with Betcha Can't Win.
Likes spatial problem solving
This game is not appropriate
Can read well with good vocabulary, though may not fully comprehend content
This game is not appropriate
Likes to use and has good fine motor skill
This game is not appropriate
Likes established routines or set ways of doing things
This game is not appropriate
Likes manipulating, constructing or building things
This game is not appropriate
Likes to use and has good musical abilities
This game is not appropriate
Likes to use and has good drawing skills.
This game is not appropriate
Autism Special Considerations
Appears to ignore other's communication and/or has difficulty giving eye contact to a communication partner
Is This Game Appropriate for Child with Characteristic? Yes
Can Child with Characteristic Play Game w/o Modification? Yes
Strategies for Developing Compensatory Skills:
Players do not need to give eye contact or communicate
Has difficulty understanding complex verbal directions
Is This Game Appropriate for Child with Characteristic? Yes
Can Child with Characteristic Play Game w/o Modification? Yes
Strategies for Developing Compensatory Skills:
Children with autism may have difficulty understanding the "securing" the card rule. Make sure the child is reminded to look at all of the cards available for capture, not just the ones in the card layout. Directions are not difficult to understand if the child has the ability to add multiple numbers.
Uses vocabulary inaccurately or demonstrates echolalia (repeating another's speech)
Is This Game Appropriate for Child with Characteristic? Yes
Can Child with Characteristic Play Game w/o Modification? Yes
Strategies for Developing Compensatory Skills:
The game is fast-paced, so players will not be paying attention to irrelevant comments.
Gets stuck repeating a verbal topic or physical actions and/or has difficulty attending to others' actions or topic.
Is This Game Appropriate for Child with Characteristic? Yes
Can Child with Characteristic Play Game w/o Modification? No
Strategies for Developing Compensatory Skills:
Children need to watch what cards have been won, so they can determine whether to try to take the card themselves. Remind the child to look at all of the cards, not just the cards in the line that have not been won. Use a physical gesture and say, "Look at all of the cards, not just these."
Has difficulty producing speech/communication
Is This Game Appropriate for Child with Characteristic? Yes
Can Child with Characteristic Play Game w/o Modification? Yes
Strategies for Developing Compensatory Skills:
Language is not needed, but players may be asked to explain how they got the total on the card.
Has difficulty sequencing multi-step actions and/or doing complex abstract tasks
Is This Game Appropriate for Child with Characteristic? Yes
Can Child with Characteristic Play Game w/o Modification? No
Strategies for Developing Compensatory Skills:
If the child is good at math, the multiple steps may not be a problem. However, if the child is not interested in or good at math, this game may be too complex. For those children, the number of dice can be reduced along with elimination of the cards of higher values. This will reduce the number of actions needed.
Demonstrates difficulty initiating and maintaining social interactions
Is This Game Appropriate for Child with Characteristic? Yes
Can Child with Characteristic Play Game w/o Modification? Yes
Strategies for Developing Compensatory Skills:
Social interactions are not needed, but discussion of what the player is thinking can be encouraged.
Acts out or demonstrates avoidance behaviors when frustrated, overwhelmed, or needs more sensory input.
Is This Game Appropriate for Child with Characteristic? Yes
Can Child with Characteristic Play Game w/o Modification? No
Strategies for Developing Compensatory Skills:
The child who is interested in math may not find this game problematic, but if math is not a preference, the game may be too frustrating.
Has short attention span for non-preferred activities
Is This Game Appropriate for Child with Characteristic? Yes
Can Child with Characteristic Play Game w/o Modification? No
Strategies for Developing Compensatory Skills:
If math is not a preferred activity, this game is not appropriate.
Needs sameness or consistent routines and/or has difficulty with transitions from one activity to another
Is This Game Appropriate for Child with Characteristic? Yes
Can Child with Characteristic Play Game w/o Modification? Yes
Strategies for Developing Compensatory Skills:
In order to get the child interested in transitioning to the game, let them throw the dice several times. Then say, "Let's find the game to go with the dice". This game follows the same procedures for each turn. The child does not need to shift thinking from turn to turn. As long as the child likes addition, the game should be motivating.
Has difficulty understanding others' feelings, intentions, and the reasons for others' actions.
Is This Game Appropriate for Child with Characteristic? Yes
Can Child with Characteristic Play Game w/o Modification? No
Strategies for Developing Compensatory Skills:
Children with autism may have difficulty understanding the "securing" the card rule. Make sure the child is reminded to look at all of the cards taken by other players, not just the ones in the card layout.
*Data compiled from CCSSI ELA Standards, WA Science Standards, and Washington Social Studies Standards
Extended Play
Extra Ways to Play the Game
This variation adds wagering and strategy element. The rules are the same, except for the "Betcha Can't Win" card addition described next: At the start of the game, deal and lay out cards as normal. The last card laid down becomes the "Betcha Can't Win" card. The first player (Player 1) is then challenged to win that card. If Player 1 can roll dice equal to the card's Target Sum, then Player 1 takes the card as a Secured Card. If Player 1 cannot equal the card value, then nothing special happens. Play continues to the left. At this point, Player 1 selects any of the 5 cards in the Play Area as the next "Betcha Can't Win" card. Now Player 2 has an opportunity to try to win that card. However, if Player 2 does not capture this card, the Player 1 gets to take the card as Unsecured. Continue in this way for all subsequent turns. Yellow Cards have an extra rule. If a yellow card is selected for "Betcha Can't Win", and the player wins the card, the player is allowed to take a card from the challenging player's cards as a bonus. If the card is not captured, the card remains in the Play Area.
Materials Needed
No additional materials needed.
Developmental Benefits
This modification encourages players to analyze the difficulty of a player obtaining a certain number on the dice. Players also have to evaluate the risk and benefit of choosing a difficult card.
Extra Ways to Play the Game
Play with addition, subtraction, multiplication or division. Any combination of operations with the dice can win a card. For example, a 5, 4 and 3 can equal 4 (5-4+3), 17 (5x4-3) and 27 (5+4x3).
Materials Needed
No additional materials are needed
Developmental Benefits
This modification allows players to be creative and use multiple perspectives to achieve a desired result. It encourages players to experiment with combining different math operations.
*Data compiled from CCSSI ELA Standards, WA Science Standards, and Washington Social Studies Standards
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