The Franklin Press
Math Moments - November 2017
The Importance of Mastering Math Facts
When students can recognize these facts automatically they have attained a level of mastery that enables them to retrieve them for long-term memory without conscious effort or attention. Brain studies have shown how mathematical progression from effortful processes to finger counting to automatized retrieval is associated with actual changes in the regions of the brain involved in mathematical computation.The following reasons explain why focusing on math facts is so important:
- Math facts fluency leads to higher order mathematics. Through automaticity, students free up their working memory and can devote it to problem-solving and learning new concepts and skills. A lack of fluency in basic math fact recall can hinder a child's progress with problem-solving, algebra and higher-order math concepts.
- Fluent math facts mean less confusion. When a student masters his/her math facts, these concepts become easier, and s/he are better equipped solving them faster. A student also does not have to spend a lot of time doing the basic facts within larger, more complex calculations and thus leading to confusion.
- Math fact automaticity affects performance-not only in math. As a student advances through the grades, s/he have longer and more complicated computations to complete to check their understanding of various concepts. At this stage, if basic math facts aren't committed to memory, s/he spend far too much time figuring out the smaller calculations and risk not completing the task. This can affect test performance as well as other subjects than just math alone.
- Less math anxiety. Math facts are the foundation blocks for learning the next level of maths. Math anxiety often begins when students fall behind and can't keep up. To avoid these anxieties, a student's early elementary years should focus on learning foundational math skills needed for later years-math facts are among those important math skills.
Sushi Monster - Math app of the Month
Meet Sushi Monster by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt!
A game to practice, reinforce and extend math fact fluency! It is engaging and appropriately challenging.
It strengthens reasoning strategies for whole number addition and multiplication by helping monsters make a target sum or product. Earn points with each correct answer...but watch out for distractions! To be successful, plan ahead and strategically select numbers from the sushi counter.
Available for both iOS and Android!
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