MATHEMATICAL GAMES AS A LEARNING TOOL: A STUDY ON THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT OF 5TH GRADE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENTS

Abstract

This study aims to investigate how mathematical games contribute as a tool in the cognitive development of 5th-grade elementary school students, identifying how mathematical games can assist teachers in the teaching-learning process of students, verifying the appropriate methodological strategies to improve students in the perspective of forming responsible, participative, and active individuals, and analyzing mathematical games as resources used by 5th-grade elementary school teachers. The methodology adopted was qualitative in nature, based on interviews with teachers P1 and P2 from a municipal school in the municipality of Amaraji-PE. This work is based on Grando (1995), Santos (2018), Silva (2025), and Santos and Pereira (2022). The results show that the use of mathematical games contributes to the teaching-learning process, demonstrating the importance of innovation and the teacher's contribution to the learning process, promoting the creation of a dynamic and participatory environment, and using mathematical games as facilitators of learning. The conclusion points out that mathematical games are essential for the construction of knowledge and in the formation of an active and participatory individual; therefore, the teacher's practice must be innovative so that students have an attractive and meaningful learning experience in the teaching-learning process.