Activities At Home for Increasing Math Fluency

In the new Mathematics Curriculum Frameworks, adopted by Massachusetts in March 2011, every grade level has specific math fluencies that students need to develop.

The following are the fluencies that students must master by grade.

Grade

Required Fluency

K

Add/subtract within 5

1

Add/subtract within 10

2

Add/subtract within 20

Add/subtract within 100 (paper and pencil)

3

Multiple/divide within 100

Add/subtract within 1000

4

Add/subtract within 1,000,000

5

Multi-digit multiplication

In order for a student to become automatic with math facts, they need lots of practice both at home and school.

NECESSARY STEPS TO BUILD MATH FLUENCY:

1) First, get the fact into memory, so that it can be recalled.
2) Second, develop fluency, or automaticity, so that it can be recalled without thinking.

3) Third, practice recalling the fact frequently enough to maintain automatic recall.

SOME IDEAS FOR HOME:

Tricks can work pretty well, especially for hard to remember facts.  For example, multiplying a number times 2 is the same as the double of the number in addition, 7 x 2 = 7 + 7; or remembering the product of 7 x 8 by counting 5,6,7,8 (5,6, = 7, x 8);  or when solving for x11 facts, double the digit being multiplied by 11(up to 9 x 11,) etc.  

Mnemonic Devices (or stories) have proven to be the best for students with learning disabilities, but they work for everyone.  For example, "You have to be 16 to drive a 4 x 4.” or “Picture a football coach feeding his 7 linemen 7 cans of beans each, so they can beat the '49ers.” 

Limit the facts to be learned at once.  Sort a stack of flashcards into piles; those that are known automatically and those that are not.  Practice one or two unknown facts at a time along with known facts until they become automatic.

Use timers. Each night, give 1, 2 or 3 minutes to answer as many math facts as possible given a sheet of problems or a stack of flashcards.  Chart the number right and celebrate/reward increasing automaticity.

Use music.  There are a lot of CD’s and some DVD’s that do this.  One that comes to mind is Schoolhouse Rock. 

Read children’s literature about learning mathematics, such as Each Orange has 8 Slices: A Counting Book, by Paul Giganti Jr. or Centipede’s 100 Shoes, by Tony Ross. Check out Melrose Public Library for more ideas.

Download Math Apps to your phone or Ipad for practice anywhere such as Math Evolve by Interaction Education and Zephyr Games.

Play oral math games in the car with your child such as Triangle Math Facts.  Give three numbers from a combination and the child names the associated facts.  For example, Adult says, “Three, nine, six.”  Child answers, “ 3+6=9, 6+3=9, 9-6=3 or 9-3=6.

The Melrose Public Schools has subscriptions for Study Island (Grades 3-5) and Symphony Math (Grades 1-5) support the learning process and builds off of your child’s enthusiasm for technology with engaging, interactive lessons and activities. Students can work through the web-based program at their own pace at home or in school. Check with your child’s teacher if you need login information.

Beat the Calculator is a game where a pair of players competes to see who can answer first.  One player attempts to answer the fact on his/her own before the other finds it on the calculator.

Use the senses in combination to fire neurons and imprint memory. (Say and write, listen and repeat, look and say, trace and say, trace and write, sky write and say, choral recitation, move and say, clap it out, etc.)

With multiplication and division, practice facts together that are related.  For instance 4 x 8 = 32 so 8 x 8 = 64 because the first factor is doubled, the quotient is also doubled.  (4’s and 8’s; 2’s and 4’s; 3’s and 6’s; 6’s and 12’s; 4’s and 8’s; 3’s and 9’s, etc.)

For multiplication, initially using numbered charts, shade in multiples by skip counting followed up by practice chanting only the multiples.  For example: 8, 16, 24, 32, etc.  Progress to calling out a product (36) and asking child what multiple group(s) the number belongs (2, 18, 3, 4, 6, 9, 12.)

Some websites to help support development of fluency and more ideas:

• Try these games to play at home with math facts.   
• List of sites to try for math fact practice.
• List of apps for the IPad to help with math practice.
• PlayKidsGames.Com
• Math Playground
• Fact Monster
• Math Fact Café
• Extra Math

Written by Grace Basile, Principal of the Roosevelt School

Follow Melrose Curriculum on Twitter @MelroseCurricul

The purpose of the Melrose Public Schools Parent Connection is to help provide parents information on the school programs related to the curriculum and instruction. We also hope to share ideas and strategies for parents to use at home to strengthen home and school connections.