When I called this post “Math Fact Fluency (Without Tears)” you probably thought I meant student tears, but really I really meant your tears. Am I right?
There is nothing more frustrating as a teacher than when a student does not have a basic foundational skill like fast recall of their math facts. It’s like a car with a flat tire. You can still get you where you want to go… but it’s going to take awhile.
Lack of automaticity makes each math skill so much tougher for the student and you as a teacher. As a longtime 4th grade teacher, I know that it is essential for students to learn these facts in order for them to master much harder algorithms for addition, subtraction, multiplication and long division. Not to mention, higher math they will do in the future.
So how can we help our students become truly fluent with their basic facts? And, how do we infuse fun into this process?
Like many things, it comes down to one important thing – practice. Read more to find out how I put the “fun” into this fundamental skill.
What can I say, my kids just LOVE Gimkit games! Gamify your math fact practice with these fun games below. These make a great 5 minute warm up activity at the start of your math or as a fun reward for students who finish their independent work at the end of math class.
Kahoot is the OG of classroom gamification, and it still my favorite. Here are some fun games to practice with your students.
SELF-CHECKING BOOM CARD PUZZLES
I love listening to my students giggle as they solve these puzzles. I have puzzles for each operation and bundled sets for subtraction, multiplication, and division.
If you want a free sample of one of these Boom Card decks, click the link below to sign up for my email list and I’ll send you a copy for free!
XTRAMATH
Protip: Your students will make the fastest growth when you make math facts a daily practice. Our students do practice with XtraMath every single day. XtraMath is a free program that gives students adapted practice with their math facts. Is it flashy? No. Is it effective? In my experience, yes! Kids find it surprisingly motivating to “race the teacher” and to earn medals, certificates, and smily faces. I appreciate that students can normally finish their daily practice in 5 minutes or less.
Music.
Lots of research supports the power of using music as a “hook” for learning. Heck, I can still sing every lyric to Ice, Ice Baby, but yet I can’t remember my own kid’s cell phone numbers.
When it comes to educational music, Flocabulary is hands-down my all-time favorite music based learning tool. If you are looking for something free, check out Number Rock on YouTube. There are lots of other great music based ways to learn math facts on Youtube. Over the years, I have collected many great ones into a Youtube playlist, including this classic from Schoolhouse Rock.
Mnemonics and Memory Tricks.
When I am teaching multiples and multiplication, I always break out the multiplication fact posters in the product below. It has lots of fun ways to remember basic multiplication facts. For example, I use rhymes like “six and eight, went on a date, six times eight is forty-eight.” Or, when my students hear me say the “counting fact”, they know I mean: 5, 6, 7, 8 (56 = 7 x 8)
Celebrate achievements.
Never underestimate the power of acknowledgement! As students show mastery of their facts, create a board or way to show off student achievement. I like to take pictures of kids with their XtraMath Certificates and post them to Class Dojo. I also have a chart like the one shown below for students to track their progress.
Conclusion
Building math fact fluency is a crucial step in a student’s mathematical journey. With the right strategies and consistent practice, students can develop strong math fact fluency that will serve as a solid foundation for more advanced math skills. Remember, patience and perseverance are key, and each student progresses at their own pace. Encourage a positive attitude toward math, and the results will follow.