Improving Math Skills with Fact Mastery
CBMS, small group instruction, and building fact fluency with flashcards
Last month, I completed STAR Renaissance CBMs (curriculum-based measurement) with my students. While CBMs are not required for 4th-grade math students in our district, it was important to understand where students are with fact fluency, specifically in Multiplication to 100, Mixed Addition/Subtraction to 20, and Subtraction within 10.
I could see many students struggling through classwork, number talks, and other instructional routines and activities because they were not fluent in the facts. As expected, many of my 4th-grade students did not meet the minimum passing score for Grade 3 Benchmarks (see ranges below).
Grade 3 STAR Benchmark Ranks and Correct Per Minute (CPM) Score Ranges At or Above Benchmark
Subtraction from 10 - 28 and above
Mixed Addition and Subtraction -14 and above
Multiplication to 100 - 21 and above
STAR CBM Score and Benchmark Tables
Implications & Understandings
To achieve mastery of the Illustrative Mathematics (IM) curriculum, students must be fluent in their basic facts. They recommend the following fact fluencies (not to be confused with conceptual and procedural fluencies):
Grade 1: Fluently add and subtract within 10
Grade 2: Fluently add and subtract within 20
Grade 3: Multiply and divide within 100
IM intentionally develops fluency throughout the curriculum (see charts below).
(Addition and Subtraction Fluencies, Illustrative Mathematics)
(Developing Fluency with Multiplication and Division Facts, Illustrative Mathematics)
Based on their recommendations, students should be able to add and subtract multi-digit numbers by 4th-grader.
To achieve this goal, I’d recommend fluency and automaticity in the basic facts. Automaticity will free up space in students’ working memory to process more difficult conceptual and procedural tasks like using addition, subtraction, and multiplication models and algorithms.
Planning
In response to our benchmark scores, I implemented a fluency block during small group instruction where students work with me (or with a partner) to practice their facts.
Initially, I created groups dedicated to addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. This system was difficult to track and implement despite intentional grouping and a pacing calendar. Instead, I shifted my focus to multiplication and a division group. While some students are beginning with their 1s and 2s multiplication facts, others are working on the more challenging 7s and 9s facts.
Implementation
First, students spend a few minutes making 5 new fact cards to learn in the session. The problems are written on the whiteboard so they can begin as soon as they are seated. They write each fact on a notecard with the problem on the front and the answer on the back.
Then, I go over each of the new facts with the students. I teach new facts, modeling to develop conceptual understanding, and using call and response to engage students. We recite them together, students tap the numbers on their cards to incorporate multi-sensory learning opportunities, and they practice independently.
Finally, we begin retrieval practice from prior sessions and incorporate the new facts into our review. If each session is kept to 15 minutes, I can work with 2 groups every day. This allows me to see each student at least 2x per week.
Once a student has demonstrated mastery of a group of facts, that is recorded on our class tracker.
Resources for implementation:
Suggested Order for Teaching Math Facts
Everything You Need to Know to Teach Your Child the Addition Facts
Your Complete Guide to Teaching Your Child the Subtraction Facts
Impact
Students are very excited to learn their multiplication facts. Students who have struggled with math content now feel more included and engaged in our class work. All students will receive CBMs again in January after we return from break to track progress.
Competition may be frowned upon, but my students love participating in additional practice using friendly competitions to achieve mastery. Some of our favorites include Blooket, 99 Math, and Factfreaks. Students who are fluent in addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division facts practice the Math 24 Game to improve their number sense and flexibility.