Katachi

Explore

What Does Child Do To Use Skill In The Game?
Players explore the arrangement of tiles on the playing field looking for potential sequences, openings and options for moving tiles.

How Parents Can Assist Learning
Remind children to look at all the potential tiles they can move on their turn. This will encourage patience and discourage impulsivity. As children get more advanced at playing Katachi, encourage them to look at their opponents' stack of tiles as well as nearby tiles and empty spaces.

Learning Implications and Educator Support
Remind children to look at all the potential tiles they can move on their turn. This will encourage patience and discourage impulsivity. As children get more advanced at playing Katachi, encourage them to look at their opponents' stack of tiles as well as nearby tiles and empty spaces.

Determine

What Does Child Do To Use Skill In The Game?
Katachi requires a high degree of determining as players examine the arrangement of tiles on the playing field, including opponents' tile stacks, in order to decide what possible moves they can make.

How Parents Can Assist Learning
Katachi involves examining the playing field and creating mental models of the consequences of moving different tiles. When first learning to play, children will think about consequences of the immediate move. As they become more proficient, children will think about one or more moves ahead in order to evaluate what tile would be best to move on their turn for either offensive or defensive purposes.

Learning Implications and Educator Support
Katachi involves examining the playing field and creating mental models of the consequences of moving different tiles. When first learning to play, children will think about consequences of the immediate move. As they become more proficient, children will think about one or more moves ahead in order to evaluate what tile would be best to move on their turn for either offensive or defensive purposes.

Compare

What Does Child Do To Use Skill In The Game?
Katachi requires a high level of comparing. Players will create mental models of the outcomes for moving different pieces. Based on those models, they will compare to determine the best move.

How Parents Can Assist Learning
Making mental models of sequences is an advanced, complex cognitive skill that supports learning spatial relations, pattern recognition and creative problem solving. To help children learn these skills, ask them to describe aloud the different sequences they can make and the potential consequences for themselves and opponents for each sequence.

Learning Implications and Educator Support
Making mental models of sequences is an advanced, complex cognitive skill that supports learning spatial relations, pattern recognition and creative problem solving. To help children learn these skills, ask them to describe aloud the different sequences they can make and the potential consequences for themselves and opponents for each sequence.

Remember

What Does Child Do To Use Skill In The Game?
Players need to remember what the die symbols mean and how many characteristics need to match for a successful move.

How Parents Can Assist Learning
If children have difficulty remembering, make a copy of the instructions for them to use as they play. This is particularly useful as children learn the game.

Learning Implications and Educator Support
If children have difficulty remembering, make a copy of the instructions for them to use as they play. This is particularly useful as children learn the game.

Predict

What Does Child Do To Use Skill In The Game?
Players are consistently thinking about what their opponents may do in response to their move. They will make mental models to predict the outcome of moving a tile, considering the offensive benefit to the player and the defensive effect on opponents.

How Parents Can Assist Learning
Katachi helps develop strategic thinking based on risk/reward analysis of different options. To help children predict, ask them to share different moves they are considering and what they think an opponent might move in response. Young children are learning how to do this, and therefore, may need tangible support. Prior to making their final decision, allow them to move tiles around the playing field to examine different sequences and potential effects on opponents.

Learning Implications and Educator Support
Katachi helps develop strategic thinking based on risk/reward analysis of different options. To help children predict, ask them to share different moves they are considering and what they think an opponent might move in response. Making mental models also helps develop spatial reasoning. Young children are learning how to do this, and therefore, may need tangible support. Prior to making their final decision, allow them to move tiles around the playing field to examine different sequences and potential effects on opponents.

Plan

What Does Child Do To Use Skill In The Game?
Planning is a key skill used and developed in this game. Players on constantly examining the board and the moves of opponents in order to decide on their next move and subsequent moves

How Parents Can Assist Learning
Encourage children to pay attention to the tiles other players are moving and how close they are to winning. Also, remind children that they can choose to not move on a turn. This helps them consider non-action as an element of strategic planning.

Learning Implications and Educator Support
To be successful in this game requires thinking about consequences beyond a player's immediate move. This type of long-term, sequential thinking is important well beyond game play such as for high level math, planning a day's events or playing most sports. Also, remind children that they can choose to not move on a turn. This helps them consider non-action as an element of strategic planning.

Experiment

What Does Child Do To Use Skill In The Game?
As the game progresses, players will likely change approaches throughout the game from offensive (attempting to make a make their stacks) and defensive (preventing others from making their stacks). Ultimately, the player that finds the right balance will win the game by making building their stacks first.

How Parents Can Assist Learning
This game involves solving two problems at once. First is how to make stacks in your corner. Second is how to prevent other's from making similar stacks. Thus, there are different approaches and strategies. Discuss different strategies prior to starting the game. Play the game and discuss. Then, play again with the child trying different approaches and strategies. Discuss again and compare the advantages and disadvantages. Once children understand different strategies, they can shift and adapt strategies within a game.

Learning Implications and Educator Support
This game involves solving two problems at once. First is how to make stacks in your corner. Second is how to prevent other's from making similar stacks. Thus, there are different approaches and strategies. Discuss different strategies prior to starting the game. Play the game and discuss. Then, play again with the child trying different approaches and strategies. Discuss again and compare the advantages and disadvantages. Once children understand different strategies, they can shift and adapt strategies within a game.
In particular, have children try moving tiles that are close to their opponents, creating empty spaces. This is a defensive strategy that the children can experiment with.

Practice

What Does Child Do To Use Skill In The Game?
Players will increase proficiency the more they play Katachi.

How Parents Can Assist Learning
Katachi has many levels of mastery. Therefore, the more children play the more capable they will be in developing and executing increasingly sophisticated strategies. Also, as they become proficient, they will be able to teach others. Teaching others demonstrates mastery, is wonderful for building self-esteem and is essential to intrinsic motivation.

Learning Implications and Educator Support
Katachi has many levels of mastery. Therefore, the more children play the more capable they will be in developing and executing increasingly sophisticated strategies. Also, as they become proficient, they will be able to teach others, demonstrating their mastery.

Solve

What Does Child Do To Use Skill In The Game?
As the game progresses, players will learn new information and adapt their strategies to the moves of opponents. The winning player will make two stacks in their corner prior to opponents.

How Parents Can Assist Learning
After children have mastered the rules and functions of the dice and tiles, they learn new information constantly during game play. This information directly effects how children strategize an approach for moving tiles, and ultimately solve the game. Encourage children to remain flexible in their approach to the game. Because there are so many options and an element of chance (i.e. the dice), it is difficult to predict what opponents will do. Thus, it is important to adapt based on prior moves.

Learning Implications and Educator Support
This game involves uses of visual spatial problem solving, directionality and if/then problem solving. After children have mastered the rules and functions of the dice and tiles, they learn new information constantly during game play. This information directly effects how children strategize an approach for moving tiles, and ultimately solve the game. Encourage children to remain flexible in their approach to the game. Because there are so many options and an element of chance (i.e. the dice), it is difficult to predict what opponents will do. Thus, it is important to adapt based on prior moves. Adapting is key to building resilience and creative problem solving.

Review

What Does Child Do To Use Skill In The Game?
Players will often reflect back on choices they made.

How Parents Can Assist Learning
Although not required, it is fun to discuss activities after they are complete. What worked? What was hard?

Learning Implications and Educator Support
Although not required, it is fun to discuss activities after they are complete. What worked? What was hard? Analysis of process can help children learn from each other.

Demonstrate

What Does Child Do To Use Skill In The Game?
Performers will demonstrate through words, physical motion, drawing, sounds and facial expressions in an effort to get their teammates to make accurate guesses.
Players may demonstrate if encouraged. See How Parents Can Assist Learning.

How Parents Can Assist Learning
When a child moves a tile and an opponent responds in an unexpected way, ask the child to share how they decided to make their prior move. Help the child examine their thinking, identifying areas where they be able to consider options and potential consequences more thoroughly on future turns.
During or after the game, discuss moves and what worked and did not work as expected.

Learning Implications and Educator Support
When a child moves a tile and an opponent responds in an unexpected way, ask the child to share how they decided to make their prior move. Help the child examine their thinking, identifying areas where they be able to consider options and potential consequences more thoroughly on future turns.
During or after the game, discuss moves and what worked and did not work as expected.

Cognitive

Suggestions for How to Modify Play Experience
Katachi involves matching in order to build sequences and establish winning strategies. For children with cognitive delays, play the Game Variant in the instructions first. With this modification, the child only need to consider one characteristic (color) when beginning a turn. After the child understands the Game Variant, try playing with only the Shape Die. This introduces two characteristics (shape and size) when beginning a turn. After the child masters the Shape Die, then use both dice.
If a child has difficulty understanding what a star on the Shape Die means, have themr re-roll until a shape (circle, square or triangle) is rolled face up.

Communication

Suggestions for How to Modify Play Experience
Children with language comprehension issues may find the directions difficult to understand. Clarify the rules by demonstrating how to match a single characteristic to move horizontally or vertically and to match two characteristics to move diagonally. A visual explanation in addition to verbal will make the rules easier to understand. Encourage the child to demonstrate an example as well. This will enable the adult to see if the rules are understood.
Have children work in pairs. If possible, have a more advanced player teamed with a less advanced player. Working as a team will require children to discuss their strategy and examine different sequences together.
To encourage communication and language production, ask children to explain their strategy at each turn. Discuss other options with all the players. This can be done either before or after a turn. This increases conversational abilities as each player offers an opinion about a move. This approach gives children practice in conversation, and also enhances comprehension of complex language structures. The visual stimulus of the board reinforces the comprehension. Comprehension of complex language structure is necessary for reading comprehension.

Sensorimotor

Suggestions for How to Modify Play Experience
The tiles are large, therefore, most children should be able to manipulate them. If they are too difficult to pick up, spread the tiles apart from each other so there is room between each tile.
Play in teams. The child with sensorimotor issues helps think about strategy and decide on moves to make. The other teammate can move the tiles on the playing field.

Social Emotional/Behavioral

Suggestions for How to Modify Play Experience
Team play is recommended for children with low frustration tolerance and/or attention issues. In a team format, children will be able to help each other think through the options regarding their strategy, which sequences are possible and which tiles to more. Encourage players to discuss the justification for their ideas at each turn. This process builds negotiation skills.
If novice players are playing against more advanced opponents, allow the novice players to win if they get stack one fewer than opponents on the corner tile. This will help level the game, therefore, novice players are more likely to win. Winning can support intrinsic motivation to keep playing and improving their skills.
If children are playing independently, support them by having them explain their thinking before they move. Discuss options that they may not have considered.

Vision

Suggestions for How to Modify Play Experience
No special modifications required.

Hearing

Suggestions for How to Modify Play Experience
No special modifications required.

*Data compiled from CCSSI ELA Standards, WA Science Standards, and Washington Social Studies Standards

Extra Ways to Play the Game
Try playing Katachi as a head-to-head game. Each player selects 16 tiles and arranges them in a 4 x 4 grid. Each player places one other tile as their corner tile. Then, one player rolls the dice. Both players use the same roll of the dice to move (or opt not to move) a tile on their own playing field. After both players complete their turn, the second player rolls the dice and so on. The goal is to make a stack of 7 tiles on the corner tile before your opponent does. All other rules apply.

Materials Needed
No additional materials required.

Developmental Benefits
This variation has the same benefits as the basic game play, but introduces a different way to play in order to build more interest in repeat play. The more that children play Katachi, the more they will learn strategic thinking.

Extra Ways to Play the Game
To make the game a little more simple, try playing with only the Shape Die. This introduces two characteristics (shape and size) when beginning a turn, rather than three characters. After the child masters the Shape Die, then use both dice.

Materials Needed
No additional materials required.

Developmental Benefits
It is important for building confidence and motivation that an activity is not so difficult as to be frustrating. This modifications allows children to learn one aspect of the game prior to moving on to more complex play with both dice.

Extra Ways to Play the Game
Play a memory game with the tiles. Turn them all over and arrange them in a grid. Turn over two tiles. If they match, remove them from the playing field. The game ends when no more tiles remain or can be matched. The person with the most tiles wins. When first playing, try matching just color. Then match shape; match size; and lastly, match shape and size.

Materials Needed
No additional materials required.

Developmental Benefits
This modification builds visual spatial memory, a cognitive skill. It also builds memory by laddering difficulty.