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Online Math Games for the 6th Grade​

Written by Riley Haas

Game-based learning

Enhance student learning with math games for grade 6 online. Sixth grade math lesson plans that incorporate 6th grade math games online may be more engaging for students while helping them grasp complex math concepts. Teachers can use such games to reinforce topics taught in math class, allowing sixth graders to use the games as both a revision tool and a learning tool.

Research has shown that math manipulatives and fun math activities have the ability to increase learning enjoyment, as well as the number of math skills that students master. They can also lead to better median standardized test scores and overall enhance mathematical learning. For these reasons, and several others which will be discussed below, taking advantage of math games for 6th graders online might be a wise decision for teachers and parents alike.

Learn more about what makes math games for grade 6 online free so effective and how educators can seamlessly integrate them into the classroom. 

Important Concepts Covered in 6th Grade Math

Sixth graders are typically between the ages of 11 and 12, but for many students. Sixth grade marks a major transition - the end of elementary school and the beginning of middle school. The sixth grade math curriculum reflects this evolution, covering even more complex math word problems and concepts in the classroom. Unlike the previous years that were largely about developing and building a strong foundation of math, sixth grade math doesn’t just build on the concepts already learned, it introduces brand new topics to students. For instance, sixth graders will be taught about previously untouched math subjects, such as percentages, statistics, and probability. Luckily, there are a number of tools out there, including 6th grade math games online, that can help ease this educational transition. Prodigy Math is a math game that suits all grade levels, with a standards aligned content. We also have online resources including division activities and subtraction games

As with the grades that came before, sixth grade math is based on a set curriculum. The curriculum is outlined via a list of Common Core Standards. These standards are a set of educational benchmarks in the United States for students from kindergarten to the 12th grade. Common Core Standards for sixth grade math are as follows:

  • Ratios and Proportional Relationships  
  • Understand ratio concepts and use ratio reasoning to solve problems. 
  • The Number System  
  • Apply and extend previous understandings of multiplication and division to divide fractions by fractions.  
  • Compute fluently with multi-digit numbers and find common factors and multiples.  
  • Apply and extend previous understandings of numbers to the system of rational numbers. 
  • Expressions and Equations  
  • Apply and extend previous understandings of arithmetic to algebraic expressions.  
  • Reason about and solve one-variable equations and inequalities.  
  • Represent and analyze quantitative relationships between dependent and independent variables. 
  • Geometry  
  • Solve real-world and mathematical problems involving area, surface area, and volume. 
  • Statistics and Probability  
  • Develop an understanding of statistical variability.
  • Summarize and describe distributions.
A sneak peek at the Prodigy English game on a tablet with Prodigy mascot, Ed, cheering in front of it.

Benefits of Teaching Math Through Games

Plenty of research has already been done on the subject of gamifying math, and the results are nothing short of impressive. Studies have found that there are a number of benefits that come from teaching math through games, as well as using tools such as subtraction activities and multiplication charts. A few of these benefits include an increase in the number of math skills mastered by students, significant improvement in math, and greater enjoyment when learning math.

One example of a game that has benefits is Prodigy Math. Students who used Prodigy the most saw up to 5x greater improvement in math, while students at Clifton Public Schools in New Jersey mastered 68% more math skills per month when using Prodigy Math in the year 2019-2020 compared to the year prior. Prodigy Math also improved learning enjoyment by a considerable amount among students who had previously experienced low learning enjoyment in math. Finally, studies have revealed that digital game-based learning is actually more effective in improving the mathematical learning of students compared to traditional learning methods. Progress monitoring was also shown to enhance mathematical learning, and progress monitoring is a key element of Prodigy’s platform. Prodigy Math creates Progress Reports and Usage Reports on each user so that educators and parents can easily monitor the learning and achievements of students.

5 Great Online Math Games for 6th Grade Students

With so many math games for 6th graders online, it can be overwhelming to find the right one for your needs. We are here to make this task less stressful by providing you with a list of the best math apps and games for sixth graders. When your students participate in online math games, including interactive online games on math rounding numbers for 6th grade, they can increase their overall math knowledge and even improve their mental math skills. In turn, this can help them prepare for standardized tests and understand important math concepts that might relate to their chosen career fields in the future. Continue reading for a list of the best online math games for 6th grade students.

1. Prodigy Math

Prodigy Math is a research-based educational gameplay platform that is standards-aligned, features math problems for 6th graders online, and is free to use for educators and students. When students log on to Prodigy, they will quickly be immersed in a role-playing game (RPG) that requires them to compete in math duels against in-game characters and answer math problems correctly to win.

What is unique about Prodigy is that it uses adaptive learning and differentiated instruction principles to adjust in-game questions based on the strengths and weaknesses of each student. Prodigy Math also boasts a comprehensive teacher dashboard that compiles Progress Reports and Usage Reports on each student. This quickly allows educators to identify learning gaps among specific students.

Prodigy Math is suitable for students from the first grade up to the eighth grade.

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There's no cost to you or your students and Prodigy is fully aligned with state standards for grades 1-8.

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2. National Library of Virtual Manipulatives

Utah State University’s National Library of Virtual Manipulatives is a wonderful and free resource available to sixth graders. As the name suggests, the National Library of Virtual Manipulatives consists of an index of hundreds of math manipulatives suitable for students from Pre-K to the twelfth grade. Students can easily log onto the website and select their age group and a math category of their choosing to find a long list of manipulatives. For example, within the Grade 6-8, Numbers & Operations category, users can play a game called Percentages, in which they can learn about the relationships between fractions, percents, and decimals.

3. Rocket Math

Rocket Math is a paid app with online math games for students from the first grade up to the eighth grade. Users are tasked with completing math missions in order to build rockets and launch them into space. Each level, of which there are 26, has three achievements: take-off, orbit, and universe. Rocket Math can be purchased by teachers on behalf of their classroom or by parents for individual students. 

4. Khan Academy

Khan Academy is described as a “global classroom,” and it is aimed at students of all ages. The platform offers instruction math videos that can help sixth graders and beyond understand math concepts of varying complexity. After finishing one of Khan Academy’s instruction videos, users are asked to answer a series of questions on the same topic to test their knowledge. This educational platform is free of charge.

5. Buzzmath

Buzzmath is an educational app that offers math games for grade 6 online, as well as students of other ages (their platform is for students from the age of 6 to the age of 16). There are over 14,000 math questions in Buzzmath, and math games are broken down by age group. Within each age group, there are a set of missions that users must complete. These missions can be on topics ranging from geometry to arithmetic, and students must correctly answer the questions in each mission to progress in the game.

Child and her mother using a reading app in a blanket fort

How to Incorporate Math Games into Learning

Incorporating 6th grade math games online into learning is easier than you might think. As an educator, you are responsible for creating lesson plans for your classroom. Online math games can be integrated into lesson plans in a number of ways. For example, if you have a test coming up, you can play an online math game with the whole class as a revision strategy. You can also ask students to play an online math game as part of an assignment or as homework. The best part about Prodigy Math is that it is flexible. It can be played offline or online, individually or in groups, and in the classroom or at home. The sky’s the limit, allowing teachers to incorporate a game like Prodigy however they see fit and in a way that aligns with their teaching styles.

Plus, with Prodigy, educators never have to worry about straying from the curriculum. Curriculum alignment is a central component of the Prodigy platform. Thus, when you set assignments that involve Prodigy math games, you can rest assured that your students will be answering standards-aligned math questions. Teachers even have the option of tailoring in-game questions to their lesson plans, ensuring your students are practicing math concepts taught that very day or week. As you can see, there are many ways that math games for 6th graders online can be incorporated into learning. The result? Learning can become more fun for students, leading to greater engagement in the classroom and even helping to prepare them for standardized tests. 

Child using a reading app at the kitchen table

Prodigy For Your Students

Curriculum alignment and intensive research inform the Prodigy Math game. This is what makes it such a powerful resource for students and educators. Not only does Prodigy give students an opportunity to better grasp important math concepts but it can allow them to have fun while doing so. This can spark a long-term interest in math, as well as help them master even more math skills than they might through traditional education methods alone.

Ultimately, if you want your students to be more engaged, achieve better results on standardized tests, and broaden their knowledge of math, it might be worth giving Prodigy Math a try. It is free of charge for educators and students, which means you have nothing to lose by trying Prodigy Math today.

Make learning fun, adaptive and insightful

There's no cost to you or your students and Prodigy is fully aligned with state standards for grades 1-8.

Sign up for free

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Make learning fun, adaptive and insightful

There's no cost to you or your students and Prodigy is fully aligned with state standards for grades 1-8 math

Learn more