Amjit Chaudhary uses carrom to teach addition, subtraction, multiplication and division
We decided to give them a spin by integrating them into games,” Jalela said. “The game gets erased due to constant use every three to four months, and we devise a new theme to ensure that the students’ engagement continues,” she said. Officials said the initiative’s “innovation bank” has gained traction since the Covid period as a platform for sharing practical teaching methods across the state.
Ahmedabad: Dedicated teachers invested in making mathematics less intimidating for students are using games, home visits and low-cost science kits to improve learning outcomes. At Amargadh Primary School in Shihor, Bhavnagar, the playground doubles as a mathematics classroom. Primary teacher Hemanshi Jalela uses kho kho to help students understand number factors. Children carry boards marked with factors of a given number, while others identify and tag the correct classmates during play. For geometry lessons, students form human lines on the ground to learn concepts such as parallel lines, intersecting lines and angles. “Students often feel intimidated by numbers and mathematical concepts. In Mandvi taluka of Surat, teacher Amjit Chaudhary uses carrom to teach arithmetics. The school is known for the game, and Chaudhary uses that interest to reinforce classroom learning. Black and white carrom pieces are assigned point values — two and three respectively — allowing students to practise addition, subtraction, multiplication and division while playing. In Anand’s Lambhvel, Dipti Ghodasara uses snakes and ladders to teach factors, whole numbers and fractions. Students are encouraged to play during recess and free time, turning a familiar board game into a recurring learning exercise. These classroom practices have been documented under the IN-SHODH initiative run by Foundation for Augmenting Innovation and Research in Education (FAIR-E), founded by professors of IIM Ahmedabad.