Dominoes As a Learning Tool
When used as a learning tool, domino can reinforce concepts in a variety of ways. Students may match pictures, letters, numbers, or sets to create a domino chain or build structures. For example, if you use a domino set with photos from class field trips, students can talk about the images while they play the game. This can also help them recall their experiences and develop social skills. Dominoes can also be a fun way to teach vocabulary. Students can name the picture on a domino while playing, or you could encourage them to find a word that matches the color of a particular domino.
While most people think of a domino as a flat square with spots on one side, there are many different types of dominoes available. Some have dots, others have stripes, and still others have blank or dotted surfaces. Most dominoes are double the width of a single tile, making them easy to stack and re-stack after being played. They can be printed with any number of colors and have a numbering system that allows players to track their progress in the game.
The most common domino game involves two players and a standard double-six set of 28 tiles. The remainder of the tiles form a stock, commonly called the boneyard, and are shuffled to become available for play. Each player draws seven tiles for his hand. Depending on the rules of the game, some tiles from the stock are passed (see “Passing and Byeing” below). The remaining tiles in the stock are called the left-overs, and the value of any left overs that have been bought is added to the score of the winning player.
Some games require that the first domino be a double, and in these cases the player who makes the first play is known as the setter or downer. The player who plays a double may then continue to play more dominoes, or he may pass the turn to another player. The next player in turn must either make a double or draw from the stock.
If a player cannot make a play, the game is blocked, and the winner is the first player to have no more dominoes in his hand than the minimum number required by the rules of the game being played. This is sometimes referred to as being the last man standing.
There are a number of different games that can be played with dominoes, and some are more complex than others. Some are scoring games, while others involve blocking or capturing dominoes or a combination of both. For example, a popular scoring game in British pubs and clubs is 5s and 3s. The object is to attach a domino from the player’s hand to the end of the dominoes already played so that the sum of the ends is divisible by five or three, resulting in points.