Procedural Fluency
Procedural fluency refers to knowledge of procedures, knowledge of when and how to use them appropriately, and skill in performing them flexibly, accurately, and efficiently. Procedural fluency is especially needed to support conceptual understanding of place value and the meanings of rational numbers. It also supports the analysis of similarities and differences between methods of calculating. These methods include, in addition to written procedures, mental methods for finding certain sums, differences, products, or quotients, as well as methods that use calculators, computers, or manipulative materials such as blocks, counters, or beads.
Adding it Up: Helping Children Learn Mathematics
Number Sense Routines
What are they?
- are quick, low-prep 10 - 15 minute activities that allow students to use mental math to solve problems and share and defend their solutions and strategies
- help students make connections to big ideas in mathematics
- can be used as warm ups or mini-lessons with the whole class or small groups of students
Why are they important?
Using number sense routines will assist you in building a mathematical community where students feel safe and are willing to take risks. These daily experiences allow teachers to focus on the core/curricular competencies in a way that is connected to the content. Number routines are responsive to the students' understanding and build deep understanding about numbers and the relationships among them. During number routines children are constructing their own knowledge of mathematics. They are sharing the strategies that make the most sense to them and in doing so, they are learning from their peers.
Children have real understanding only of that which they invent themselves, and each time that we try to teach them
too quickly, we keep them from reinventing it themselves. ~ Piaget
