Computational Fluency Parent Information

Millbridge & Delran Intermediate School

What are math facts?

Math facts are addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division facts that children learn and memorize. You may have called the multiplication facts “times tables” when you were in school.

Examples:

1 + 1 = 2 9 - 4 = 5 6 x 8 = 48 63 ÷ 9 = 7

What is Computational Fluency?

Computational Fluency means that students can solve their math facts accurately and efficiently, using appropriate strategies flexibly. The ultimate goal is for students to have their math facts memorized, and we expect them to use increasingly efficient strategies as they move toward memorization. For example, when adding 3 + 4, we should see children moving in a progression from counting on their fingers, to using mental strategies such as doubling 3 and adding 1, to “just knowing” the answer from memory.

The Plan for Delran

At Home: Practice

All students in grades K-5 are encouraged to practice their facts at home a minimum of 3 times per week for 5-10 minutes. Parents, please keep in mind that each child learns at his or her own pace, and some children may require more practice than others in order to meet the expectations for their grade level.

You can have your child practice the math facts in any way that works for you and your family. Here are some ideas:

• Traditional Practice Methods

  • Flash Cards

  • Friendly competition (For example, my daughter likes to try to say the answer before her dad when I call out a multiplication problem.)

• Paper & Pencil Practice Methods

  • Print out a drill sheet for your child to fill in. themathworksheetsite.com, or other free websites, allow you to do this.

  • Have your child practice by writing the facts out on paper.

• Online Practice Methods

  • FASTT Math logins are active for all students in 1st-5th grades. FASTT Math can be accessed under the “Students” tab on both the Millbridge and DIS websites.

  • Play Kids Games - http://www.playkidsgames.com/games/mathfact/mathFact.htm

  • Fact Monster - http://www.factmonster.com/math/flashcards.html

  • Math Playground - http://www.mathplayground.com/ASB_Index.html

  • ….and tons of other free sites available if you google it!

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At School: Practice and Assessment

Practice - every teacher K-5 will incorporate a short session of math facts practice into class on a daily basis. This ongoing practice will reinforce the message to our students that we believe it is important for them to work towards memorization of their math facts.

Assessment - children will be assessed on their math facts every other week. This will begin in the 1st marking period for grades 1-5, and in the 2nd marking period for Kindergarten. The assessments will be short (approximately 5 minutes, but not timed), and will allow teachers to assess children’s progress toward the grade level expectations. On the assessments, students will be given a small number of facts to solve, and will be asked to identify whether they “just knew” the fact from memory, or whether they used a strategy to solve it.

What’s expected by the end of each grade level?

*We will be focusing on practicing and assessing the addition and multiplication facts, as appropriate for each grade level. Once a child has the addition and multiplication facts solidly memorized, they will be able to apply that knowledge to the related subtraction and division facts.

Grade Level	End-of-Year Expectation
K	Add and subtract within 5
1	Add and subtract within 10
2	Add and subtract within 20
3	Multiply and divide within 100
4	All facts up to 12x12
5	All facts up to 12x12

Survey Results

More than 415 families completed the survey sent out in the Fall of 2015….THANK YOU!!!! I also surveyed teachers separately. The results of those surveys were sent to parents in the building principals’ email update in October 2015, and they are also posted here! CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE FALL, 2015 SURVEY RESULTS!