Go Game and Mathematics Learning in Third-Grade Elementary Classrooms: An Explorative Study

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This article presents findings from a classroom-based research project examining the innovative integration of the ancient board game Go in third-grade classrooms within a suburban U.S. school district. The study involved six teachers and over 100 students. In Phase 1, the Go teacher provided six weekly on-site lessons and four monthly lessons in Phase 2 . Each lesson consisted of approximately 10-15 minutes of instruction and 20 minutes of gameplay. The research sought to answer three key questions: 1) What adaptations are necessary for implementing Go as a game-based learning tool in classrooms? 2) What natural opportunities for learning and using mathematics arise from playing Go? 3) How do teachers and students perceive the game of Go? Adapting the Go game was essential to make it better suited to the practical demands of the classroom setting. Smaller boards allow Go to fit easily within class periods and match students’ beginner levels. Emphasizing the “natural” objective of the game — ensuring stones survive forever on the board — along with a simplified scoring rule based on counting surviving stones provided a student-friendly, concrete approach to gameplay. Additionally, rearranging the remaining stones into recognizable number shapes helped students count, recognize numbers quickly, and easily calculate and verify scores. These key adaptations also created a low-pressure, interactive wayfor students to practice foundational math skills in a game-based learning environment. Data analysis revealed that students employed essential math skills aligned with the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSS-M) during Go games. Students with varying mathematical abilities demonstrated high levels of engagement and focused attention during Go lessons and games. As the project progressed, students moved away from counting stones individually and using skip counting to more efficient approaches to calculating their final scores, such as using number shapes and arrays for multiplication. This practice allowed students to engage in perceptual and conceptual subitizing - critical number sense skills that promote mastery of arithmetic. Arrays also helped students grasp the critical concepts of commutative and distributive properties of multiplication, which are visually evident on the Go game board. This research provided empirical support for the connections between Grades K-3 CCSS-M standards and Go. Teachers observed that their students frequently applied math skills during Go gameplay and experienced valuable opportunities to reinforce concepts from their ongoing math curriculum. Students reported using their math skills while playing Go. For example, when asked how to introduce Go to their friends, they noted that it can help them learn how to be a good leader and help them practice math skills. Some students described Go as “a cool, fun strategy game that’s sometimes challenging and uses a lot of math skills.” Notably, students with special needs, including those with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Autism Spectrum Disorder, actively participated in Go games with their peers without disabilities, without needing their classroom aides. Teachers noted that Go games created an alternative low-anxiety math learning space in their mathematics classrooms. In addition to its mathematical benefits, teachers recognized that Go improved students’ attention, engagement, collaborative learning, and decision-making.