Math Fluency

Suggested Grade Level: PK-12

“Fluency is being able to apply procedures efficiently, flexibly and accurately.” - Jennifer Bay-Williams and John SanGiovanni, Figuring Out Fluency in Mathematics: Teaching and Learning

Effective teaching of mathematics builds fluency with procedures on a foundation of conceptual understanding so that students, over time, become skillful in using procedures flexibly as they solve contextual and mathematical problems.

- NCTM, Principles to Actions: Ensuring Mathematical Success for All, 2024

The Relationship of Different Fluency Terms in Mathematics

Three types of fluency:

Basic Fact Fluency - fluency with operations involving single digits
Computational Fluency - computation with the four operations
Procedural Fluency - more than the four operations (i.e. comparing fractions, solving proportions, simplifying expressions)

All 3 are neccessary to build fluency for students.

Procedural Fluency Components and Related Fluency Actions

Figuring Out Fluency In Mathematics: Teaching and Learning, Jenny Bay-Williams and John SanGiovanni

Efficiency - Solving a procedure in a reasonable amount of time by selecting an appropriate strategy and readily implementing that strategy.

Flexibility - Knowing multiple procedures and applying or adapting to solve procedural problems.

Accuracy - Correctly solving a procedure.

Fluency Games

Why fluency games?

Reduces anxiety
Prevents regression
Teaches lasting strategies over memorization
Encourages strategic thinking
Grows with student
Foster mathematical discourse
Peer learning

-Jennifer Bay-Williams

Game resources

People of all ages love to play games that are fun and motivating. Games give students opportunities to explore fundamental number concepts and computation strategies. -NCTM

Select a game to watch a quick tutorial

Building relationships

between our community, industry, and teachers

to meet the needs of OUR students

Report abuse