Have you ever wondered why your child or students have a hard time explaining the why for their answers? Today’s students often use rote memorization when it comes to learning their math facts. They practice repetition daily and remember the facts over time, but they can’t tell you why 7+3 equals 10. They know it.
In a 2015 paper, Stanford Professor Jo Bohaler stated, “While research shows that knowledge of math facts is important, the best way for students to know the facts is to use them regularly and to develop an understanding of the numerical relations.” Her research found that speed test pressure and memorization can cause more damage in the long run with how kids view math.
As a classroom and resource teacher, I often looked for ways to help my students develop a deeper relationship with and understanding of mathematical operations and facts. I used the “Building Fact Fluency tool kit for Addition and Subtraction.” The kit was research-based and could be aligned to any standards.
Every lesson always started with a tool talk or image talk where somebody showed students various pictures, and they had to talk about what they noticed and how they saw the numbers. Somebody showed seven brown eggs and six white eggs on one page. The teacher would ask the students how many eggs they saw and ask, “How do you see the eggs?” The students would respond, “I see 13 eggs, seven brown and six white.” The following picture would either increase or decrease the number of eggs. Students developed a rich real-world connection with their math while confidently developing strategies. After every tool talk, students would apply the strategy taught to the other components of number talk, lesson strings, and a game.
My students can apply the strategy and confidence gained from the Big Fact Fluency Kit to the required school curriculum and their everyday lives. The best part is they can explain WHY the answer is what it is and what strategy they used to get the answer.
© ExploreEngageLearn LLC February 3,2024
References:
Boalar, J. (2015, January 29). Learn Math Without Fear. Standford News. Retrieved February 3, 2024, from https://news.stanford.edu/2015/01/29/math-learning-boaler-012915/
(n.d.) Building Fact Fluency. Retrieved February 3, 2024, from https://www.zaner-bloser.com/mathematics/building-fact-fluency/index.php