This intervention promotes the acquisition of math facts. The student is given a sheet containing math facts to practice. The student studies each math fact with answer that appears on the sheet, covers the fact briefly and copies it from memory, then compares the student-copied math fact and answer to the original correct model (Joseph et al., 2011; Skinner, McLaughlin & Logan, 1997).
Materials:
Cover-Copy-Compare Worksheet: Horizontal or Vertical Problems
Procedures: Here are the steps of Cover-Copy-Compare for math facts:
STEP 1: [Teacher] Create a Cover-Copy-Compare math fact sheet. The teacher selects up to 10 math facts for the student to practice during the session and writes those facts (including number sentence and answer) as correct models into the left column of the Cover-Copy-Compare Worksheet (horizontal or vertical poblems). The teacher then pre-folds the sheet using as a guide the vertical dashed line ('fold line') dividing the left side of the student worksheet.
STEP 2: [Student] Use the Cover-Copy-Compare procedures. During the Cover-Copy-Compare intervention, the student is trained to follow these self-directed steps for each math fact:
Study the correctly completed math fact (model) that appears in the left column of the sheet.
Fold the left side of the page over at the pre-folded vertical crease to hide the original math fact ('Cover').
Copy from memory the math fact and answer, writing it in the first response blank under the 'Student Response' section of the Cover-Copy-Compare worksheet ('Copy').
Uncover the original correct model and compare it to the student response ('Compare'). If the student has written the math fact and answer CORRECTLY, the student moves to the next item on the list and repeats these procedures. If the student has written the math fact INCORRECTLY, the student draws a line through the incorrect response, studies the correct model again, covers the model, copies the model again from memory into the second response blank under the 'Student Response' section of the sheet, and again checks the correctness of the copied item..
Continue until all math facts on the sheet have been copied and checked against the correct models.
STEP 3: [Teacher] Log: items mastered by the student. The teacher should formulate an objective standard for judging that the student using Cover-Copy-Compare has 'mastered' a particular math fact (e.g., when the student is able to copy that fact with answer from memory without error on three successive occasions). The teacher can then apply this standard for mastery to identify and log items mastered in each session, using the appropriate Cover-Copy-Compare Log Sheet.
Variations: One modification of Cover-Copy-Compare that may make it even more effective is to have the student respond orally. The student covers the original math fact and orally states the fact and answer rather than putting it in writing (Skinner, Bamberg, Smith, & Powell, 1993). Because students can often respond more quickly by stating rather than writing their response, oral responding can speed the task and result in a larger number of effective learning trials in the time allocated.
Students can improve both their accuracy and fluency on math computation worksheets by independently self-monitoring their computation speed, charting their daily progress, and earning rewards for improved performance.
Collection of student math computation worksheets & matching answer keys (NOTE: Educators can use a free online application to create math computation worksheets and answer keys by using this free Math Worksheet Generator (http://www.interventioncentral.org/tools/math-worksheet-generator)
Student self-monitoring chart (see attachment at the bottom of this page)
In preparation for this intervention:
the teacher selects one or more computation problem types that the student needs to practice. Using that set of problem types as a guide, the teacher creates a number of standardized worksheets with similar items to be used across multiple instructional days. (A Math Worksheet Generator that will create these worksheets automatically can be accessed at http://www.interventioncentral.org).
The teacher prepares a progress-monitoring chart. The vertical axis of the chart extends from 0 to 100 and is labeled 'Correct Digits' The horizontal axis of the chart is labeled 'Date'.
The teacher creates a menu of rewards that the student can choose from on a given day if the student was able to exceed his or her previously posted computation fluency score.
At the start of the intervention, the teacher meets with the student. The teacher shows the student a sample math computation worksheet and answer key. The teacher tells the student that the student will have the opportunity to complete similar math worksheets as time drills and chart the results. The student is told that he or she will win a reward on any day when the student's number of correctly computed digits on the worksheet exceeds that of the previous day.
During each day of the intervention:
1. The student is given one of the math computation worksheets previously created by the teacher, along with an answer key. The student first consults his or her progress-monitoring chart and notes the most recent charted computation fluency score previously posted. The student is encouraged to try to exceed that score.
2. When the intervention session starts, the student is given a pre-selected amount of time (e.g., 5 minutes) to complete as many problems on the computation worksheet as possible. The student sets a timer for the allocated time and works on the computation sheet until the timer rings.
3. The student then uses the answer key to check his or her work, giving credit for each correct digit in an answer. (A 'correct digits' is defined as a digit of the correct value that appears in the correct place-value location in an answer. In this scoring method, students can get partial credit even if some of the digits in an answer are correct and some are incorrect.).
4. The student plots his or her computational fluency score on the progress-monitoring chart and writes the current date at the bottom of the chart below the plotted data point. The student is allowed to select a choice from the reward menu if he or she exceeds the most recent, previously posted fluency score.
Teachers can improve accuracy and positively influence the attitude of students when completing math-fact worksheets by intermixing 'easy' problems among the 'challenging' problems. Research shows that students are more motivated to complete computation worksheets when they contain some very easy problems interspersed among the more challenging items.
Math computation worksheets & answer keys with a mixture of difficult and easy problems
The teacher first identifies one or more 'challenging' problem-types that are matched to the student's current math-computation abilities (e.g., multiplying a 2-digit number by a 2-digit number with regrouping).
The teacher next identifies an 'easy' problem-type that the students can complete very quickly (e.g., adding or subtracting two 1-digit numbers).
The teacher then creates a a series of student math computation worksheets with 'easy' computation problems interspersed at a fixed rate among the 'challenging' problems. (NOTE: Instructions are included below for creating interspersal worksheets using a free online application from www.interventioncentral.org.)
If the student is expected to complete the worksheet independently as seat work or homework, 'challenging' and 'easy' problems should be interspersed at a 1:1 ratio (that is, every 'challenging' problem in the worksheet is followed by an 'easy' problem).
If the student is to have the problems read aloud and then asked to solve the problems mentally and write down only the answer, the items should appear on the worksheet at a ratio of 3:1 (that is, every third 'challenging' problem is followed by an 'easy' one).
By following the directions below, teachers can use a free on-line Math Worksheet Generator to create computation worksheets with easy problems interspersed among more challenging ones:
The teacher goes to the following URL for the Math Worksheet Generator: http://www.interventioncentral.org/tools/math-worksheet-generator
Displayed on that Math Worksheet Generator web page is a series of math computation goals for addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. Teachers can select up to five different problem types to appear on a student worksheet. Each problem type is selected by clicking on the checkbox next to it.
The tutor then repeats the sequence--taking yet another problem from the 'known facts' deck to add to the expanding collection of math facts being reviewed ('review deck'). Each time, the tutor prompts the student to read off and answer the whole series of math facts in the review deck, beginning with the unknown fact and then moving through the growing series of known facts that follow it.
It is simple to create a worksheet with a 1:1 ratio of challenging and easy problems (that is, with an easy problem following every challenging problem). First, the teacher clicks the checkbox next to an 'easy' problem type that the student can compute very quickly (e.g., adding or subtracting two 1-digit numbers). Next the teacher selects a 'challenging' problem type that is instructionally appropriate for the student (e.g., multiplying a 2-digit number by a 2-digit number with regrouping). Then the teacher clicks the 'Multiple Skill Computation Probe' button. The computer program will then automatically create a student computation worksheet and teacher answer key with alternating easy and challenging problems.
It is also convenient to create a worksheet with a higher (e.g., 2:1, 3:1, or 4:1) ratio of challenging problems to easy problems. The teacher first clicks the checkbox next to an 'easy' problem type that the student can compute very quickly (e.g., adding or subtracting two 1-digit numbers). The teacher then selects up to four different challenging problem types that are instructionally appropriate to the student. Depending on the number of challenging problem types selected, when the teacher clicks the 'Multiple Skill Computation Probe' button, the computer program will create a student computation worksheet and teacher answer key that contain 2 (or 3 or 4) challenging problems for every easy problem.
Because the computer program generates new worksheets each time it is used, the teacher can enter the desired settings and -in one sitting-- create and print off enough worksheets and answer keys to support a six- or eight-week intervention.
Incremental rehearsal builds student fluency in basic math facts ('arithmetic combinations') by pairing unknown computation items with a steadily increasing collection of known items. This intervention makes use of concentrated practice to promote fluency and guarantees that the student will experience a high rate of success.
Index cards & pen
In preparation for this intervention:
1. The tutor first writes down on an index card in ink each math fact that a student is expected to master-but without the answer. NOTE: Educators can use the A-Plus Math Flashcard Creator, a free on-line application, to make and print flashcards in addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. The web address for the flashcard creator is: www.aplusmath.com/Flashcards/Flashcard_Creator.html
2. The tutor reviews the collection of math-fact cards with the student. Any of the math facts that the student can orally answer correctly within two seconds are considered to be known problems and are separated into one pile. Math facts that the student cannot yet answer correctly within two seconds are considered 'unknown' and collected in a second pile -- the 'unknown facts' deck.
3. The tutor next randomly selects 9 cards from the pile of known math facts and sets this subset of cards aside as the 'known facts' deck. The rest of the pile of cards containing known math facts is put away ('discard deck'), not to be used further in this intervention.
During each day of the intervention:
The tutor follows an incremental-rehearsal sequence each day when working with the student:
First, the tutor takes a single card from the 'unknown facts' deck. The tutor reads the math fact on the card aloud, provides the answer, and prompts the student to read off and answer the same unknown problem.
Next the tutor takes one math fact from the 'known facts' deck and pairs it with the unknown problem. When shown the two problems in sequence, the student is asked during the presentation of each math fact to read off the problem and answer it. The student is judged to be successful on a problem if he or she orally provides the correct answer to that problem within 2 seconds. If the student commits an error on any card or hesitates for longer than two seconds, the tutor reads the math fact on the card aloud, gives the answer, then prompts the student to read off the same unknown problem and provide the answer. This review sequence continues until the student answers all cards within two seconds without errors.
The tutor then repeats the sequence--taking yet another problem from the 'known facts' deck to add to the expanding collection of math facts being reviewed ('review deck'). Each time, the tutor prompts the student to read off and answer the whole series of math facts in the review deck, beginning with the unknown fact and then moving through the growing series of known facts that follow it.
When the review deck has expanded to include one 'unknown' math fact followed by nine 'known' math facts (a ratio of 90 percent 'known' material to 10 percent 'unknown' material), the last 'known' math fact that was added to the student's review deck is discarded (put away with the 'discard deck'). The previously 'unknown' math fact that the student has just successfully practiced in multiple trials is now treated as a 'known' math fact and is included as the first item in the nine-card 'known facts' deck for future drills.
The student is then presented with a new math fact to answer, taken from the 'unknown facts' deck. With each new 'unknown' math fact, the review sequence is again repeated as described above until the 'unknown' math fact is grouped incrementally with nine math facts from the 'known facts' deck-and on and on.
Daily review sessions are discontinued either when time runs out or when the student answers an 'unknown' math fact incorrectly three times.
Description: The student monitors and records her or his work production on math computation worksheets during time-drills—with a goal of improving overall fluency (Maag, Reid, R., & DiGangi, 1993). This intervention can be used with a single student, a small group, or an entire class.
MATERIALS:
Student self-monitoring audio prompt: Tape / audio file with random tones or dial-style kitchen timer
Math computation worksheets containing problems targeted for increased fluency
Student Speed Check! recording form (attached)
Preparation: To prepare for the intervention the teacher:
Decides on the Length and Frequency of Each Self-Monitoring Period. The instructor decides on the length of session and frequency of the student's self-monitoring intervention. NOTE: One good rule of thumb is to set aside at least 10 minutes per day for this or other interventions to promote fluent student retrieval of math facts (Gersten et al., 2009). For example, Mrs. Rilke, a 3rd-grade teacher, decides that her student, Roy, will monitor his productivity on math computation worksheets on a daily basis for 10 minutes per session.
Selects a Math Computation Skill Target. The instructor chooses one or more problem types that are to appear in intervention worksheets. For example, Mrs. Rilke decides to target two math computation problem-types for Roy: Addition—double-digit plus double-digit with regrouping and Subtraction—double-digit plus double-digit with no regrouping.
Creates Math Computation Worksheets. When the teacher has chosen the problem types, he or she makes up sufficient equivalent worksheets (with the same number of problems and the same mix of problem-types) to be used across the intervention days. Each worksheet should have enough problems to keep the student busy for the length of time set aside for a self-monitoring intervention session. For example, when designing a worksheet, Mrs. Rilke decides to include 15 problems per sheet for her 3rd grade student, to keep Roy busy for the 10 minute daily intervention period. The teacher then goes to the free math worksheet generator at www.interventioncentral.org to create and print off 25 equivalent math worksheets for use across all intervention days (5 days per week for five instructional weeks).
Determines How Many Audio Prompts the Student Will Receive. This time-drill intervention relies on student self-monitoring triggered by audio prompts. Therefore, the teacher must decide on a fixed number of audio prompts the student is to receive per session. NOTE: On the attached Student Speed Check! form, space is provided for the student to record productivity for up to five audio prompts per session. In our example, Mrs. Rilke selects five audio prompts per session.
Selects a Method to Generate Random Audio Prompts. Next, the teacher must decide on how to generate the audio prompts (tones) that drive this intervention. There are two possible choices:
(Choice A) The teacher can develop a tape or audio file that has several random tones spread across the time-span of the intervention session, with the number of tones equaling the fixed number of audio prompts selected for the intervention (see previous step). For example, the instructor may develop a 10-minute tape with five tones randomly sounding at 2 minutes, 3 minutes, 5 minutes, 7 minutes, and 10 minutes.
(Choice B) The instructor may purchase a dial-type kitchen timer. During the intervention period, the instructor turns the dial to a randomly selected number of minutes. When the timer expires and chimes as a student audio prompt, the teacher resets the timer to another random number of minutes and repeats this process until the intervention period is over. Of course, the teacher must ensure that the student receives the same fixed number of audio prompts (e.g., 5) across each intervention session and that all audio prompts are delivered by the conclusion of the timed intervention session. Before each intervention session, the teacher may want to preselect several random time intervals. For example, on a given day, the instructor who wants to include five timer prompts in a 10 minute intervention session may decide to ring the timer at 2 minutes, 3 minutes, 5 minutes, 7 minutes, and 10 minutes. This sequence would then be changed for the next session.
Trains the Student in the Procedures to Self-Monitor Productivity. The teacher meets with the student to train him or her in the steps of the intervention (described in the next section).
INTERVENTION STEPS: Sessions of the productivity self-monitoring intervention for math computation include these steps:
[Student] Set a Session Computation Goal. The student looks up the total number of problems completed on his or her most recent timed worksheet and writes that figure into the 'Score to Beat' section of the current day's Student Speed Check! form.
[Teacher] Set the Timer or Start the Tape. The teacher directs the student to begin working on the worksheet and either starts the tape with tones spaced at random intervals or sets a kitchen timer. If using a timer, the teacher randomly sets the timer randomly to a specific number of minutes. When the timer expires and chimes as a student audio prompt, the teacher resets the timer to another random number of minutes and repeats this process until the intervention period is over.
[Student] At Each Tone, Record Problems Completed. Whenever the student hears an audio prompt or at the conclusion of the timed intervention period, the student pauses to:
-circle the problem that he or she is currently working on
-count up the number of problems completed since the previous tone (or in the case of the first tone, the number of problems completed since starting the worksheet)
-record the number of completed problems next to the appropriate tone interval on the Student Speed Check! form.
[Teacher] Announce the End of the Time-Drill Period. The teacher announces that the time-drill period is over and that the student should stop working on the worksheet. NOTE: If a tape or audio file is being used to deliver audio tones, it can contain an announcement stating that the intervention period has ended.
[Student] Tally Day's Performance. The student adds up the problems completed at the tone-intervals to give a productivity total for the day. The student then compares the current day's figure to that of the previous day to see if he or she was able to beat the previous score. If YES, the student receives praise from the teacher; if NO, the student receives encouragement from the teacher.
DESCRIPTION: This intervention employs students as reciprocal peer tutors to target acquisition of basic math facts (math computation) using constant time delay (Menesses & Gresham, 2009; Telecsan, Slaton, & Stevens, 1999). Each tutoring ‘session’ is brief and includes its own progress-monitoring component--making this a convenient and time-efficient math intervention for busy classrooms.
MATERIALS:
Student Packet: A work folder is created for each tutor pair. The folder contains:
10 math fact cards with equations written on the front and correct answer appearing on the back. NOTE: The set of cards is replenished and updated regularly as tutoring pairs master their math facts.
Progress-monitoring form for each student. (See sample Math Tutoring: Score Sheet attachment at the bottom of the page)
Pencils.
PREPARATION: To prepare for the tutoring program, the teacher selects students to participate and trains them to serve as tutors.
Select Student Participants. Students being considered for the reciprocal peer tutor program should at minimum meet these criteria (Telecsan, Slaton, & Stevens, 1999, Menesses & Gresham, 2009):
Is able and willing to follow directions
Shows generally appropriate classroom behavior
Can attend to a lesson or learning activity for at least 20 minutes
Is able to name all numbers from 0 to 18 (if tutoring in addition or subtraction math facts) and name all numbers from 0 to 81 (if tutoring in multiplication or division math facts)
Can correctly read aloud a sampling of 10 math-facts (equation plus answer) that will be used in the tutoring sessions. (NOTE: The student does not need to have memorized or otherwise mastered these math facts to participate—just be able to read them aloud from cards without errors)
[To document a deficit in math computation] When given a two-minute math computation probe to complete independently, computes fewer than 20 correct digits (Grades 1-3) or fewer than 40 correct digits (Grades 4 and up) (Deno & Mirkin, 1977).
NOTE: Teachers may want to use the attached Reciprocal Peer Tutoring in Math Computation: Teacher Nomination Form (see attachment at the bottom of the page) to compile a list of students who would be suitable for the tutoring program.
Train the Student Tutors. Student tutors are trained through explicit instruction (Menesses & Gresham, 2009) with the teacher clearly explaining the tutoring steps, demonstrating them, and then having the students practice the steps with performance feedback and encouragement from the teacher. The teacher also explains, demonstrates, and observes students practice the progress-monitoring component of the program. (NOTE: Teachers can find a handy listing of all the tutoring steps in which students are to be trained on the attached form Peer Tutoring in Math Computation with Constant Time Delay: Integrity Checklist (see attachment at the bottom of the page). This checklist can also be used to evaluate the performance of students to determine their mastery of the tutoring steps during practice sessions with the teacher.)
When students have completed their training, the teacher has each student role-play the tutor with the teacher assuming the role of tutee. The tutor-in-training works through the 3-minute tutoring segment and completes the follow-up progress-monitoring activity. The teacher then provides performance feedback. The student is considered to be ready to tutor when he or she successfully implements all steps of the intervention (100% accuracy) on three successive training trials (Menesses & Gresham, 2009).
INTERVENTION STEPS: Students participating in the tutoring program meet in a setting in which their tutoring activities will not distract other students. The setting is supervised by an adult who monitors the students and times the tutoring activities. These are the steps of the tutoring intervention:
Complete the Tutoring Activity. In each tutoring pair, one of the students assumes the role of tutor. The supervising adult starts the timer and says ‘Begin’; after 3 minutes, the adult stops the timer and says ‘Stop’.
While the timer is running, the tutor follows this sequence:
Presents Cards. The tutor presents each card to the tutee for 3 seconds.
Provides Tutor Feedback. [When the tutee responds correctly] The tutor acknowledges the correct answer and presents the next card.
[When the tutee does not respond within 3 seconds or responds incorrectly] The tutor states the correct answer and has the tutee repeat the correct answer. The tutor then presents the next card.
Provides Praise. The tutor praises the tutee immediately following correct answers.
Shuffles Cards. When the tutor and tutee have reviewed all of the math-fact carts, the tutor shuffles them before again presenting cards.
Continues to the Timer. The tutor continues to presents math-fact cards for tutee response until the timer rings.
Assess the Progress of the Tutee. The tutor concludes each 3-minute tutoring session by assessing the number of math facts mastered by the tutee. The tutor follows this sequence:
Presents Cards. The tutor presents each card to the tutee for 3 seconds.
Remains Silent. The tutor does not provide performance feedback or praise to the tutee, or otherwise talk during the assessment phase.
Sorts Cards. Based on the tutee’s responses, the tutor sorts the math-fact cards into ‘correct’ and ‘incorrect’ piles.
Counts Cards and Records Totals. The tutor counts the number of cards in the ‘correct’ and ‘incorrect’ piles and records the totals on the tutee’s progress-monitoring chart.
Switch Roles. After the tutor has completed the 3-minute tutoring activity and assessed the tutee’s progress on math facts, the two students reverse roles. The new tutor then implements steps 2 and 3 described above with the new tutee.
Conduct Tutoring Integrity Checks and Monitor Student Performance. As the student pairs complete the tutoring activities, the supervising adult monitors the integrity with which the intervention is carried out. At the conclusion of the tutoring session, the adult gives feedback to the student pairs, praising successful implementation and providing corrective feedback to students as needed. NOTE: Teachers can use the form Peer Tutoring in Math Computation with Constant Time Delay: Integrity Checklist (see bottom of page) to conduct integrity checks of the intervention and student progress-monitoring components of the math peer tutoring.
The adult supervisor also monitors student progress. After each student pair has completed one tutoring cycle and assessed and recorded their progress, the supervisor reviews the score sheets. If a student has successfully answered all 10 math fact cards three times in succession, the supervisor provides that student’s tutor with a new set of math flashcards.
Reciprocal Peer Tutoring in Math Computation: Teacher Nomination Form
Reciprocal Peer Tutoring in Math Computation: Integrity Checklist
Students should develop automatic recall of basic math-facts in the elementary grades. Math-fact mastery permits students to shift valuable cognitive capacity away from simple calculations toward higher-level problem-solving (Gersten, Jordan, & Flojo, 2005; National Mathematics Advisory Panel, 2008). An important goal for schools, then, is to ensure that students are proficient in math-facts by the end of grade 5 (Kroesbergen & Van Luit, 2003) to better prepare them for the demanding middle-school math curriculum. Teachers, however, may have difficulty finding instructional time and adult support to deliver math-fact interventions to students.
One solution to this intervention-resource problem is the math-fact self-administered folding-in intervention (math-fact SAFI: Hulac, Dejong, & Benson, 2012). This approach trains students to take charge of their own intervention to acquire and develop fluency in math-facts. Using flash cards, the student reviews math-facts with immediate performance feedback, engages in repeated practice to correct errors, and records on a running log those math-facts that have been mastered. An additional advantage of this intervention is that it has been shown to be effective with middle-school students.
Preparation.
In preparation for this intervention, the teacher creates or obtains the following materials:
Math-fact flash cards. The entire collection of math-facts to be mastered are written onto flash-cards. One fact is written on each card, with the math-fact appearing on the front and the correct answer appearing on the back. For example, multiplication math-facts for 0 through 10 would require 121 flash cards to cover all possible number combinations for this fact-set. Tip: Students can be given a master set of math-facts with answers (e.g., on the blackboard or on a handout) and directed to create their own math-fact cards.
Math-Facts SAFI: Student Checklist. The student receives a copy of this checklist containing the essential steps of the self-administered intervention. The teacher can use this same checklist to observe the student and evaluate the integrity of the math-fact SAFI.
Dry-erase board, markers, and eraser. The student uses the dry-erase board to record all answers in the session.
Student Log: Mastered Math-facts. This recording-form is used by the student to log any math-facts mastered during the intervention.
In preparation for this intervention, the teacher also meets with the student to:
nventory those math-facts the student already knows. The teacher reviews all math-fact cards with the student. The teacher shows each card to the student for 3 seconds. If the student responds correctly to the math-fact, the teacher sorts that card into the "known" stack. If the student answers incorrectly or hesitates for 3 seconds or longer, the teacher sorts the card into the "unknown" stack. The teacher then puts rubber bands around the "known" and "unknown" stacks for student use as outlined below.
train the student in the steps of the math-fact SAFI. Using the intervention materials and Math-Facts SAFI: Student Checklist, the teacher trains the student to implement the intervention.
Procedure. Below are the steps the student follows in each session to implement the math-fact self-administered folding-in technique. (NOTE: Because the student is the interventionist, the steps are written as student directions):
Start with the daily stack of cards from the last session. Or create a new "daily stack" by taking 7 cards from your weekly "known" stack and 3 cards from your weekly "unknown" stack and shuffling them.
Take the first card from the top of the daily stack and place it flat on the table.
Read the math-fact on the card and write the answer on the dry-erase board within 3 seconds.
Turn the card over and compare the answer that you wrote to the answer on the card.
If your answer is correct, sort that card into a "daily known" pile. If your answer is incorrect, sort that card into a "daily unknown" pile--then practice by writing the math-fact and correct answer on your dry-erase board three times in a row.
Continue until you have answered all 10 daily cards. Then look at the daily "known" and "unknown" card stacks. If all daily cards are in the "known" stack, draw a star in the bottom left corner of your dry-erase board.
Shuffle the 10 cards in the daily card deck.
Continue reviewing all 10 cards in the daily deck as explained in steps 2-7 until you have drawn three stars in the bottom left corner of the dry-erase board. (In other words, continue until you have answered all 10 cards without error in a single run-through and have accomplished this feat a total of three times in the session.)
When you have earned 3 stars, consider the entire daily stack to be "known" cards. So it's now time to update the daily deck.
Take any 3 cards from your current daily 10-card deck and transfer them to the weekly "known" deck. Then, on the Student Log: Mastered Math-facts form, record the math-facts and current date for the 3 cards that you transfer. Congratulations! These now count as mastered math-facts!
Next, take 3 cards from the weekly "unknown" stack and add them to your current daily deck to bring it back up to 10 cards.
Begin reviewing the daily stack again (as outlined in steps 2-7) until your time runs out.
Before ending the session, place rubber-bands around the weekly "known" and "unknown" decks and the daily stack that you are currently working on. Also, be sure that your Student Log: Mastered Math-facts form is up-to-date.
Download This Blog Entry in PDF Format: How To: Improve Proficiency in Math-Facts Through a Self-Administered Folding-In Technique