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Ah, the dreaded math facts!!! Why is being "fast and accurate" with knowing math facts so important? The goal of reading is to make meaning of written words. The goal is NOT to pronounce words; however, if a student struggles decoding words he/she will have difficulty making meaning. The same can be said of math. The goal of math is to learn concepts and apply that knowledge to solve problems. The goal is NOT just to regurgitate math facts. However, if a student is not proficient with their basic math facts, it will be difficult to learn the higher level skills that are being taught. Students will spend all their time/energy on figuring out facts that should be memorized and not on the skill they are trying to learn.
While all four operations are important, their success in sixth grade math is really dependent on their multiplication tables.
Helpful suggestions for helping your child:
Helpful suggestions for helping your child:
Teach them the reverse rule; then they only have half as many facts to memorize (Example: 5 x 8 is the same as 8 x 5).
Start with easier facts to increase their confidence - go back to the ones, twos and threes and work your way up. This is what they did in 4th grade.
Show your enthusiasm and willingness to work together to help them achieve this goal.
Google math fact practice - there are a ton of sites out there! We use Moby Max, but find one that your child enjoys.
A few minutes EVERY night is much better than long drawn out practice sessions. Repetition is key!
Check out my Organize Those Numbers slide show below for many helpful hints and videos.
This year students will have access to a calculator at school periodically depending on the unit we are studying. It is STRONGLY recommended that students are able to solve and show their work on paper and then use their calculator to check their facts, when permitted to do so. Do NOT rely on the calculator for all the answers. As I tell the students, the calculator's accuracy is only as good as the user! And, the calculator can only solve problems if the user understands the concept being taught. Calculators will not be provided for home use by the school but they are available to use while in school. Students may access one on their Chromebook if they don't have one at home. We use just the basic functions on the calculator so a fancy one is not needed at this age.
Subtraction Timed Test.pdfAddition timed test.pdfDivision timed test.pdfMultiplication timed test.pdfReport abuse