DOMINO GAMES AND NUMBER IDENTIFICATION FROM 0-10 OF KINDERMANGGA PUPILS OF JOSE V.

FERRIOLS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Arlene E. Ordoez
Teacher I
Abstract
The goal of this research is to find out the effect of domino games in improving the
number identification from 0-10 ability of Kinder-Mangga pupils of Jose V. Ferriols Elementary
School. The research design employed is descriptive-comparative using secondary data. The
researcher concludes that the employment of the domino games has a significant effect on the
pupils ability on number identification from 0-10. Hence it is recommended that the utilization of
the said strategy be used by the other teachers.

Introduction
According to the conventional wisdom handed over the generations,
preschoolers are essentially blank slates who while away their time with idle
play until they begin schooling. Once subjected to the discipline of classroom,
real mathematical learning can occur (Baroody, J. & Wilkins, J., 1999). It is
already established that providing children with a strong foundation of
mathematical knowledge especially identifying the numbers 0-10 is critical for
success in school and beyond (Ramani & Siegler, 2014). Childrens early
mathematical knowledge predicts their rate of growth in mathematics (Aunola &
et. al., 2007), as well as mathematics achievement test scores in later school
years (Duncan et al., 2007). To facilitate early learning, it is the role of the
teachers to guide them.
Key

research

has

been

carried

out

into

childrens

imagistic

representations of number, as well as their representations more generally, and

found them to progress through clear stages of structural development (Mulligan,
Mitchelmore and Prescott, 2005). Given the strong and persistent relation

between early and later mathematical proficiency, the need to address the said
problems calls for various strategies be developed and implemented.
A few experimental programs, such as Number Worlds (Griffin, 2000) and
the Berkeley Math Readiness Project (Klein & Starkey, 2004), have utilized
number board games including the use of domino as part of instructional
interventions designed to improve the numerical knowledge of children. These
programs have yielded substantial improvements in childrens early mathematical
achievement. For this reason the researcher decided to make use of the domino
games as an intervention to her pupils.
This research is anchored on Sociocultural Theory. A central principle of
sociocultural theory is that social interactions with adults play a critical role in
childrens cognitive development (Gauvain, 2001). Play and other informal
activities are considered particularly important contexts in which adults provide
children with new information, support their skill development, and extend their
conceptual understanding. Every day informal activities can provide children with
extensive numerical information in the home environment (Saxe, 2004).
Furthermore, much of the development of mathematical understanding in early
childhood is social in nature.
To determine whether playing the number board game with the use of
domino, Siegler and Ramani (2007) randomly assigned children to play one of
two board games. Playing the numerical version of the board game led to the
low-income preschool childrens number line estimates becoming dramatically
more linear. Thus, playing the number board game produced substantial
improvements in low-income childrens number line estimation.
Department of Education (DepEd) believed that Kindergarten is the
transition period from informal to formal literacy (Grades 1-12) considering that
age five (5) is within the critical years where positive experiences must be
nurtured to ascertain school readiness. Teachers should therefore be guided to
facilitate explorations of young learners in an engaging and creative curriculum
that is developmentally appropriate which immerse them in meaningful
experiences. Provision of varied play-based activities leads them to becoming
emergent literates and, helps them to naturally acquire the competencies to
develop holistically.

It was noted that the Kinder-Mangga pupils find difficulty in identifying

numbers ranging from 0-10. In order to know whether the intervention used
Domino Games has a significant effect, this research is conducted.
In particular its goal is to answer the following questions: 1.) What are the
pre-test scores of Kinder-Mangga pupils? 2.) What are the post test scores of
Kinder-Mangga pupils? 3.) Is there a significant difference in the scores of the
pre-test and post test results? 4.) What is the effect size of Domino Games to the
Number Identification from 0-10 Ability of Kinder-Mangga pupils of Jose V.
Ferriols Elementary School?
To provide better understanding of this paper, the following terms are
defined operationally:

Domino Games refers to the strategy as an intervention used in this study

by the researcher.
Number Identification from 0-10 refers to ability of the students to
classify and categorize the quantities ranging from 0-10.

Method
Descriptive-comparative research design was utilized to know the
effectiveness of Domino Games in the improvement of the students ability to
identify numbers from 0-10. The respondents were the 28 pupils of KinderMangga of Jose V. Ferriols Elementary School. Pre-test and Post-test scores
were used as secondary data. Mean, Standard Deviation, Paired Sample T-Test,
and Eta2 in full SPSS format were used as statistical tools.

Presentation, Analysis, and Interpretation of Data

This section presents textual and tabular presentations of the findings of
the study. The data gathered were cautiously analysed, interpreted, and
discussed using appropriate statistical tools.

Table 1. PreTest Scores

Descriptive

Test

Mean

SD

Pretest

28

6.61

2.59

Interpretation
Low

Table 1 shows the pretest scores of Kinder-Mangga pupils. It shows a

mean of 6.61 with a descriptive interpretation of low.
Table 2. Post Test Scores
Test

Mean

SD

Post test

28

12.133

2.60

Descriptive
Interpretation
Very High

Table 2 shows the post test scores of Kinder-Mangga pupils after the
intervention. It shows a mean of 12.133 with a descriptive interpretation of high.
Table 3. Paired Sample T-Test on Domino Games
Test
Pretest and
Post Test

df

t-value

p-value

Remarks

28

26

-12.4306

0.000

Significant

Table 3 shows the Paired Sample T-Test on Domino Games. It shows that
the pre-test and post test scores generated a t-value of -12.4306 with a p-value
of 0.000 which is interpreted as significant.

Table 4. Effect Size of Domino Games

n

t-value

Eta2

Remarks

28

-12.4306

0.852

Large effect

Table 4 shows the Test of Effect size of Domino Games. It generated an

Eta2 value of 0.852 which signifies large effect. Thus the use of Domino Games is
effective in improving the Kinder-Mangga pupils ability to identify numbers from
0-10.

Conclusion
The pre-test results on Number Identification from 0-10 of the KinderMangga pupils are low. The post test results on Number Identification from 0-10
of the Kinder-Mangga pupils are high. There is a significant difference on the pretest and post test scores. Domino Games have a large effect on the Number
Identification from 0-10 Ability of Kinder-Mangga pupils of Jose V. Ferriols
Elementary School.

Recommendation
Domino Games is recommended to be utilized by the other teachers of
Jose V. Ferriols Elementary School. In order to further consider the effects of
Domino Games in improving the Number Identification from 0-10 Ability of the
students, improvement on the research is suggested.

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