Matching game for learning enhancement

Abstract

A matching-based competitive game is used to reinforce the association, correlation, translation, or equation of values. The values are indicia on the face of the tiles, where each tile has at least two different indicia. These values may be cross-language vocabulary words, geographic entities, arithmetic valuations, or chemical symbols, as examples. The classic game of dominoes provides a single tile for every combination of two values in the value set, including the identity element. Because the mathematical increase in combinations, and thus the size of the tile set, becomes prohibitively large for a reasonably-sized value set, the tile set is reduced, resulting in a group of smaller tile sets, having essentially the same statistical matching capability of a normal domino set. The winner(s) of the game are defined as the first player(s) who complete a predetermined number of matches of the indicia values on their tiles.

1 ) A game set, comprising:
 a plurality of pieces,
 wherein each piece has a first surface, 
 wherein the first surface has a plurality of oppositely disposed ends, 
 wherein each oppositely disposed end of said first surface has an indicium of one of n values incorporated within the game set, thereon,
 wherein n is a positive integer, 
 wherein said n indicia comprise sets j, k, . . . , that associate, correlate, translate, or equate concepts,
 wherein each of the sets j, k, . . . is an aggregate of a plurality S of respective subsets A, B, C, . . . , each subset comprising all combinations of any values which may be represented as 1 to p, 
 wherein the number S of said subsets A, B, C, does not include the identity subset A, 
 wherein n value comprises {jA 1 , jA 2 , . . . , JAp, jB 1 , jB 2 , . . . , jB p , jC 1  . . . } and {kA 1 , kA 2 , . . . , kA p , kB 1 , kB 2 , . . . , kB p , kC 1  . . . }, and 
 wherein n values assigned to j(1 to n) and k(1 to n) are mathematically shuffled such that a regular tabulation of the values of (j,k){A 1 , A 2 , A 3 , . . . C p } loses full correlation. 
 
 
   
     
     
         2 ) The game set of  claim 1 , wherein a pairing of set membership of each piece is selected from the group consisting of {j,j}, {k,k}, and {j,k}. 
     
     
         3 ) The game set of  claim 1 , wherein a pairing of set membership of the respective ends of each piece is unrelated to any content of any other face or end. 
     
     
         4 ) The game set of  claim 1 , wherein n is greater than 6. 
     
     
         5 ) The game set of  claim 2 , wherein the pairing of set membership of each piece is {j,k}, and the j set comprises words or phrases, in one language, and the k set comprises translations of the words or phrases into another language. 
     
     
         6 ) The game set of  claim 1 , wherein divisions within the datasets or subsets are unbalanced. 
     
     
         7 ) The game set of  claim 1 , wherein the indicia of forms j, k . . . may be any of a glyph, a picture, a word, or expansion thereof. 
     
     
         8 ) The game set of  claim 1 , wherein the pieces are fabricated from materials selected from the group consisting of wood, plastic, metal, paper, linen, and an electronic representation. 
     
     
         9 ) The game set of  claim 1 , wherein the pieces are arranged in a string. 
     
     
         10 ) The game set of  claim 1 , wherein the pieces are arranged in multiple strings, wherein one of the strings has a predetermined length which determines the end point of a game.