Monza - parlor game

Abstract

Developing games with cultural potential is an omnipresent vision. The Monza parlor game has become an open concept and project, with which you can learn holistically at school and in your free time and share wonderful experiences. The game is related to the ladder game, but much more creative. The mathematization is even more successful if teachers have a clear insight and mastery of mathematical knowledge, the curriculum, the math books, and manipulatives. At the same time, they should use creative methods so that the 'exodus' from transmission pedagogy can start.
The text is a translation of the article "Monza Gesellschaftsspiel" and contains links to videos and comments in different languages.
Keywords - play as a zone of proximal development, systemic play theory, co-construction, Vygotsky, Piaget, mathematization

Full text

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Fig. 1: Monza car races (photo S. Meyer)
Monza - parlor game1
"Take your pleasure seriously." Charles and Ray Eames
Stefan Meyer, Senior Lecturer HfH, Livia Rickenbacher, (Special Needs Teacher, SNT), Evelyne
Zürcher, SNT, translated by Luciano Covolan
Developing games with cultural potential is an omnipresent vision. The Monza parlor game has
become an open concept and project, with which you can learn holistically at school and in your
free time and share wonderful experiences. The game is related to the ladder game, but much
more creative. The mathematization is even more successful if teachers have a clear insight and
mastery of mathematical knowledge, the curriculum, the math books, and manipulatives. At the
same time, they should use creative methods so that the 'exodus' from transmission pedagogy can
start.
The starting position
How can math be learned when there is no math book, or when a pandemic or poverty forces people
to stay home? How can mathematics be taught if children or young people no longer like the math
book or if they have lost the joy of teaching?
We only get real answers to these questions after changes in school conditions (see Dewey, 2008;
Robinson & Aronica, 2016). The integration of the inexpensive Monza game can create new
conditions in school or at home. Linking the game with mathematical education is child's play if it
were not for fears and external control. Moreno (2007) described mechanisms that lead to
1 This is the translation of the article in HfHnews Nr. 25 / September 2020
“Monza Gesellschaftsspiel”, https://www.researchgate.net/publication/344348618_Monza_-
_Gesellschaftsspiel

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paradoxes and blocked behavior. It is about the interaction between new ideas, new products, and
the consumption of these products. An example: every new teaching aid is inspired by creative
ideas. But it soon becomes part of the everyday routine of going through textbook pages,
worksheets, digital media, and methods. Moreno called such products cultural conserves (cf. Storch,
1996; Moreno, 2007). According to Storch (1996, p. 1), an attempt is made to use conserved culture
to freeze earlier spontaneity and creativity in a specific product. Proposals for change are still
approved, but the pressure of material or financial restrictions prevent implementation. Spontaneity
and creativity are lost. According to Watzlawick (2017), the result is a game without an end, in which
those involved have forgotten how it could be ended.
The game idea
The Monza parlor game is not a cultural conserve. It is versatile and adaptable. The play area and
the rules belong to the players. You decide whether it is a small or a huge game, which curves and
which straights it has. They discuss whether they are building tunnels that make counting more
challenging. The groups also agree whether to play inside or outside. You can also use the traffic
play mat.
The game is related to the ladder game, which has proven very effective in support, as the research
by Ramani & Siegler, 2008; Ramani et al., 2019) showed. Kindergarten children from socially and
poor families had made up the arithmetic gap within a few weeks. Also worth mentioning are the
Carrace-Spiel, which Baroody & Gannon (1983, quoted in Ginsburg, 1987, p. 471f.) had developed for
diagnosis and the promotion of basic knowledge, as well as other proven games that are available on
the Website des flexiblen Interviews. As with “Spiel mit N” and its fate cards for the course of the
game, rules can also be introduced in the Monza parlor game. Who e.g. arrives at the 80th field, has
an accident and must skip a round of dice (see Meyer, 2008).
With the help of the project method, the Monza parlor game combines disciplines such as
geography, arithmetic, geometry, and mass (time, length, speed). It fits into the leisure culture in
families, where car racing is welcome. In addition, many quartet card games are available. Monza is
rich in phenomena and problems that invite you to math, from kindergarten to secondary level 1.
The age is open, from 3 to 99 years.
The project method
The project method links play education with mathematical education and, depending on the
objective, also with other disciplines (cf. Frey, 2010; Günther, 2013). The teachers and the students
challenge themselves to examine and document the interactions between the dimensions. These
interactions drive holistic and mathematical education.
Game project:
The game idea is presented to the children, perhaps some of them already know the ladder game.
The play project should be started and organized with the children, not for them (cf. Frey, 2010;
Günther, 2013). The playing time is set in the free play phase. Other tracks and types of races can
also be selected.

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Math project:
The better the math, the more clearly the educators have an overview and mastery of the
mathematical knowledge, the curriculum, and the teaching materials. This foundation is also being
further developed in the project. Mathematical education is based on everyone's resources and
knowledge-guiding questions. It is lively, process-oriented and anchored in understanding. That
makes them inclusive and sustainable. Questions and problems can be dealt with in circle
discussions or in special thought training based on cognitive acceleration (cf. Adey, 2008). Core
topics are counting competence, the sense of numbers, the number symbols, the number aspects,
geometric shapes, spatial relationships, mass (time, length, speed), number theory, laws of
calculation (commutative, associative, distributive), the part-whole relation, the proportionality,
functional relationships, arithmetic operations and various means of representation (point or
number fields, number line) (cf. Padberg, 2007; Franke & Reinhold, 2016). Everyone should watch
freely when a child adds two dice (or more) like lightning. In the discussion group they exchange
experiences and give advice on what maths by heart is. In the role play, the children ask their class
mascot (dolphin, owl, Globi, etc.), who masters one plus one, and later the multiplication tables by
heart (see Meyer, 2017). The children discover the functional connection between the racing times,
the automation when adding up several dice and the skillful (structured) counting of the playing
fields.
First experience
In spring 2020 Livia Rickenbacher, SNT, had two gifted 6year olds kindergarten children, Paul and
Carla (names changed), shown the YouTube film about the Monza parlor game:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sg7shYt_HBw
Spontaneously, the two of them had set up a racetrack in free play with Brio-Bahn rails and building
blocks. Together with other children they had negotiated rules of the game, e.g. that a long, straight
rail counted three dice points (see Fig. 2).
Fig. 2: Scene from video by L. Rickenbacher

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All the children in the half-group wanted to play. Together they decided that there would be
"drivers", "diceers" and "counters". They wanted to play with two dice. This division of roles and
tasks has proven itself. The audience waited eagerly for their turn. Social control of the rules worked
well during the game.
A little later, on the day of visiting the future kindergarten children, the photo of the racecourse was
shown. One child with autism was fascinated. The parlor game was a welcome gesture and an
anchor point for future projects.
The first free observations by the professionals (special needs educator and the class teacher) lead to
the conclusion that the game provides very high value for holistic, social teaching and learning.
The developmental differences between the children are, as the description shows, a potential and
not an obstacle to learning. Boys and girls felt equally addressed.
In a game with Anna (5y.) Stefan Meyer could observe that she wanted to build a racetrack with 59
cards. The number of dice was clarified as follows: "Anna, would you like to play with one or with
two dice?" - "Two, that's 'professional'!"
Evelyne Zürcher, SNT, had to cancel the game evening with parents and kindergarten children
because of the corona measures. As an alternative, she chose the Monza game for the final lesson.
She had got to know it in a module at the HfH. Instead of the cards, the children had drawn the
racetrack in chalk on the playground, see Fig. 3.
Fig. 3: Outdoor racing track (photo E. Zürcher)

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The lesson was a complete success! The kids loved it. Every child had brought their favorite car,
nobody had forgotten the invitation. The kindergarten teacher and the SNT had divided the class
into four racing groups. In two stronger groups, the children had no trouble counting to 20. They
could play the game on their own. The weaker groups were accompanied by the teachers. Children
who were uncertain could be well supported. They got many counting opportunities during the
game.
Fig. 4: In the middle of the race (Photo E. Zürcher)
It was particularly noticeable that the children played with perseverance, they did not get bored.
During the game, the active children spontaneously ran around the racetrack until it was their turn
again. Nobody was bothered by this. They were there every time with full concentration. The
children reported that they had really enjoyed the game.
Educational activities in gaming
The core idea of the game triggers spontaneous initiatives from the children and the teachers. These
also concerned the game and learning support. Devi et al. (2020) were able to observe six
behaviours in video analyses and teachers' comments on the videos. (1) The game is supported by
participation and instructions. (2) The game is supported by the provision of materials. (3) The
teacher's involvement should only get the activity going. After that, the teacher's intentions run
parallel to the children's play activity. (4) The teacher asks the children questions that they verbalize
their thinking. However, these were not yet metacognitive questions. (5) The play activity is
documented by the teacher. (6) The teacher is involved as a play partner in the children's fantasy
game. These six behaviours help the teachers to network arithmetic knowledge appropriately and to
discuss it with the children. You can also model specifically. It is obvious that the children also form
together.
Prevention and the "driving lesson" ritual
Preteaching and collaborative preteaching (cf. Munk et al., 2010) encompass preventive educational
measures that reduce educational deficits in the broadest sense, increase participation in school
activities and improve activities. Collaborative preteaching must be integrated into the support
planning so that vocabulary, standard sentences, images, and background knowledge can be built up
as needed (cf. Berg & Wehby, 2013).

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The development of new roles, such as the racecourse manager, the engineer, the mechanic, the
racecourse helpers, the restaurant, the snack bar etc. enable prevention in a creative and relational
way. The roller carriers perform certain preparatory work before car races. It is communicated in
the technical language. The mid-morning break is planned as a snack bar in the game.
Experienced children could offer “driving lessons” in role-play games. They introduce the
inexperienced to the game. The driving instructors would be trained and supervised by the
professionals. Through this peer tutoring, rules of the game, counting skills, numerical knowledge,
arithmetic laws, tactical knowledge, fairness, and logical thinking are established and evaluated (see
Topping et al., 2017).
Cooperation with the parents
The game will be presented on parents' evening or in the parent advisory service. Can mothers and
fathers be motivated? The teachers show how teaching about being a role model works. The focus
is on the joy of playing and interests. Cards or fields on the asphalt are counted by the way. The
children master one or more dice better and better. It should be avoided that the children are
"bossed around". The children form the dialogic game accompaniment and play by themselves.
Certainly, a dispute must be settled here and now, whereby the children reconstruct the course of
the game with the help of arithmetic, reflect the rules and learn to make peace (cf. Heimlich, 2015).
The children will draw cars and discuss engine power and maximum speeds. Depending on the
season, they will build different racetracks. Suddenly a child is labelling the drawing with "Ferrari
800PS" or numbering the playing fields.
Weekend and vacation
It should be made possible that the cars or other toys can be borrowed over the weekends or during
the holidays. The teachers should buy favourite vehicles for themselves and borrow them (role
model). That helps build the relationship culture and the class spirit.
Outlook
The first reports contain experiences with extra-mathematical relationality (Freudenthal, 1977).
Oerter (2012) speaks of implicit learning. This includes discussions and exercises with applied
arithmetic (recording quantities, counting activities, socially controlled operations, applying the laws
of calculation, as well as formulating, applying, and controlling rules).
In systematic case studies in the sense of action research, experiences with mathematics are also
evaluated. There are many interesting development issues that span several school levels. Other
development issues concern the security of teachers with creative teaching behaviour. The text
accompanying the YouTube film is currently being translated into several languages.
In the module no. 134 “Entwicklungsförderung” (development acceleration), new documents and
experiences on the Monza parlor game are imparted. The game and math project can also be
learned about in advanced workshops on request (cf. Meyer, 2020a, b).
Taking the joy of play and the joy of mathematics seriously is the vision and strategy of
transformative education (cf. Cuomo, 2007; Watson, 2018) in all school levels. Artists like Ray and

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Charles Eames have set an example: Take your pleasure seriously! - This also happened in the school
classes described.
Contact
stefan.meyer [at] hfh.ch
rickenbacher.livia [at] learnhfh.ch
zuercher.evelyne [at] learnhfh.ch
More information, and videos in various languages:
More information: https://youtu.be/3TPz0ObWp_0
More information II, various forms: https://youtu.be/GykX888CicE
Monza Horse Race: https://youtu.be/u-IX3uGh6sc
Mehr Informationen: https://youtu.be/Sg7shYt_HBw
Más información: https://youtu.be/nP-KUi4OMc4
Plus d'informations: https://youtu.be/SUN_Y_WKONY
Più informazioni: https://youtu.be/9hvy8LxFpTU
Daha fazla bilgi: https://youtu.be/Uz9yQXVVHqo
Më shumë informacion do të pasojë
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