Fun and Free Computer Games: Factorize

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Earlier this week, I blogged about a fun and free computer game for practicing factors and multiples.  Today I want to show you another fun and free online tool your students can use when learning or practicing factors.

Factorize

This is a great online tool (not technically a game) that your students can use to model factors of a given number.  It works very well for kids just starting out with factors and is a great next step after an introduction to factors.  It is a great visual to support development of conceptual understanding. 

The tool will generate numbers (both prime and composite) for the student or they can choose their own number.  The choose your own number option is wonderful for students to use to find factors of numbers from a worksheet or other class or homework assignment.  

Here the student has found 2 rectangles for 45 and typed in two pairs of factors of 45.  Notice that the rectangle color matches the factor pairs.  

Here a student has found the one and only factor pair for 13.  A great question to ask after using this tool is how do you know a number is prime just by looking at the board.  (there is only room for one factor pair) 

Here a student has found 2 of the 4 rectangles needed to find all the factors of 24

Looking for more ideas for factors and multiples?  Here is a great teacher book for teaching all things multiplication and division!