I bought this game years ago because it promoted itself as “The Game of Fractions” and I had a kid in the throws of learning about fractions. We played it a lot back then and it did indeed help with him mastering equivalent fractions. Now, as I finally sat down to write a review for it, I decided to look up the term “vinculum.”
Vinculum:
- a bond signifying union or unity; tie
- a stroke or brace drawn over a quantity consisting of several members or terms
As if that was supposed to help me understand why this game was titled “Vinculum.” 🙂
But then I read part of the directions I had missed previously. “Anatomy of a Fraction” explains that the line in between the numerator and the denominator is called the “vinculum” and is what bonds the two numbers into a fraction. Learn something new every day, right?
In addition to reviewing the
FUN FACTOR
and the EDUCATIONAL VALUE,
I will also include info on the
ORGANIZATIONAL COMPONENT,
SKILLS USED,
CLARITY LEVEL
and an OVERALL SCORE.
Educational Game Review: Vinculum- The Game of Fractions
NAME: Vinculum- The Game of Fractions
PUBLISHER: SimplyFun
TIME COMMITMENT: Minimal {15 minutes}
PLAYERS: 2-6
GRADE: 8+
CATEGORY: Math
SUB CATEGORY: Fractions
SKILLS FOCUSED ON:
- recognizing equivalent fractions
- reducing fractions
- expanding fractions
SKILLS PRACTICED:
- speed
- reflexes
HOW TO WIN: Be the player with the most fraction tiles at the end.
HOW TO PLAY IN ONE SENTENCE: Flip over a new fraction tile and be the first to find (and slap) an equivalent fraction tile.
EDUCATIONAL VALUE: ♥♥♥♥♥ The entire game revolves around nothing but recognizing equivalent fractions so if you have students who need to work on that math skill, this might be just the game for you! Playing requires both reducing and expanding fractions to find matches so it provides excellent practice. There is also a set of 10 tiles that are considered “advanced” which can be pulled from or added to the game as needed. Additionally, we found a way to make the game a wee bit harder by requiring a triple match in order to win. And, if you have beginners, the coloring behind the fraction can be used as a clue as well. So, it’s easy to differentiate for multiple levels. EDUCATIONAL VALUE SCORE: 5/5 ♥♥♥♥♥
FUN FACTOR: ♥♥♥♥♥ Anytime a game is speedy and involves slapping things, we find it pretty fun! And, the fact that it’s both simple to set up and quick to play adds to the enjoyment factor. FUN FACTOR SCORE: 5/5 ♥♥♥♥♥
ORGANIZATIONAL COMPONENT: ♥♥♥♥♥ Like every SimplyFun game we have reviewed, Vinculum comes in a very sturdy box with high-quality components. Included are 61 fraction tiles, a set of directions and a carrying bag. ORGANIZATIONAL COMPONENT SCORE: 5/5 ♥♥♥♥♥
CLARITY LEVEL: ♥♥♥♥♥ The instructions are very simple and explain the game clearly. There is very little room to debate a correct answer or argue whether a pair matches or not. The instructions even do a great job of explaining fractions in a basic way. CLARITY LEVEL SCORE: 5/5 ♥♥♥♥♥
OVERALL SCORE: ♥♥♥♥♥ One of the things I appreciate most about SimplyFun games is their simple purpose. They are not complicated nor do they require tons of time, but they are always educational and fun. And Vinculum is no different. It’s perfect for students of multiple levels to learn and/or refresh the concept of equivalent fractions and only requires a few minutes to play. Vinculum is a simple, fun and effective way to practice equivalent fractions! OVERALL SCORE: 100% ♥♥♥♥♥
Educational Game Review: Vinculum- The Game of Fractions
