How to practice your math facts:

HOW CAN I MASTER MY MATH FACTS THIS SUMMER?

Students who have control of their math facts will be better prepared for 5th grade math. Having fluency with your addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division facts through the 12s before the start of 5th grade will make operations with whole numbers, fractions and decimals much easier and you will be able to concentrate on developing strategies and algorithms rather than on worrying about math facts. If you are struggling with this, rest assured we are here to help you! While memorization can be a help to you, what is most important is that you are able to break numbers apart and recompose them flexibly and accurately. Keep in practice this summer and anticipate getting help with this in the fall if you need it. 

Research has shown that the most efficient way to learn math facts – and the least painful – is to separate them into three categories:

• Fluent facts – “I know this one!”

These are facts that you are able to remember without hesitating.  

• Developing facts – “I kind of know this one.”  

 These are facts that you sometimes remember or have to think about for a minute.

• Study facts – “I don’t know this one.” 

 These are facts that you don’t yet know or are guessing at.

Working on Developing Facts

1)  Sort fact triangles or flash cards into the three piles.

2)  Pick up all the fluent facts and two or three of the developing facts.

3)  This is your working pile.

4)  Use the working pile for math card games or for quick drills.

5)  When a developing fact becomes fluent, add another developing fact to  the  working pile.

Working on Study Facts

Pick TWO  study facts.

1) For each study fact, make a model, draw a rectangle, and figure out a number strategy (examples below.) You  might want to do this each day for a few days.

2) When you  can sometimes remember a study fact, move it to the developing fact pile.

Charting Progress

To keep track of progress, you might want to color in your  fluent facts on the Math Fact Chart. As more facts become fluent, more of the chart will be colored in.