Addition and Subtraction Math Fact Fluency Program

Do you know what they call a hen who counts her own eggs? A mathemachicken. 

And in order to have a classroom full of mathemachickens, er, I mean mathematicians (gosh, imagine how noisy all that squawking would be), your students need math fact fluency. 

Math fact fluency is crucial to confidence and long-term success in math. But let’s face it, most math fact fluency programs aren’t working. 

Kids find the endless repetition of facts boring. They experience math anxiety when timed tests are introduced. And most fact fluency programs teach math facts in isolation. Kids are introduced to and expected to memorize all the 1 facts, before moving on to the 2s, and 3s, and so on. Ugh.

I found that when I introduced mixed facts from the beginning my students had so much more success. Mixing up facts right from the start resulted in true mastery of the facts instead of just memorization.

The  Not So Wimpy Teacher Math Fact Fluency Program is your mixed fact solution for addition and subtraction. This program has everything you need to implement an effective program to increase your students’ math fact fluency. 

What’s Included:

• Math Facts Assessments: Each math fact skill has five different assessments. (30 total assessments)
• Daily math facts practice pages: Each math fact skill has five different practice sets. Each practice set has 4 days of daily practice. (120 practice sets)
• Math Facts Games: Each operation has 5 different math games for children to practice math fact skills.
• Additional list of easy to implement fluency games 
• Flash cards: addition and subtraction flash cards for every fact in the program.
• Answer keys
• Tracking sheets for students and teachers
• Suggested times for those who want timed tests
• Binder covers and spine labels to help with organization
• Detailed teacher directions with tips and suggestions for simple implementation
• FAQs

Math Facts Included:

There are six levels of math facts included in the addition and subtraction program

• Level 1: Mixed fact addition within 10
• Level 2: Mixed fact addition within 20
• Level 3: Mixed fact subtraction within 10
• Level 4: Mixed fact subtraction within 20
• Level 5: Mixed Addition and Subtraction within 10
• Level 6: Mixed Addition and Subtraction within 20

How to Use in the Classroom:

This program was designed with flexibility in mind. As the teacher you know your students BEST. You can determine which facts they need to practice and how long they need to practice them. 

Getting to Know the Sets:

• Ideally your students should practice facts they have already been introduced to in the curriculum.
• Each level has 5 sets of problems. Each set includes the exact same math facts, but they are in a different order. This prevents students from simply memorizing the order in which the facts appear instead of the facts themselves.
• Each set has four practice pages for use Monday through Thursday with an assessment on Friday.

Using the Sets: 

• You can use the levels and sets in any order. 
• You can use one set per week, moving Set A to Set B, etc… or rotate between sets to prevent students from memorizing answer patterns
• You can skip levels, spend more time on complex skills, jump around, or assign different levels to different students. 
• It is totally okay to repeat the same set. Slide sets into page protectors to save paper. Students can write answers with dry erase markers.
• Students DO NOT need to stay on the same set and level until they have reached mastery.

Tracking Progress:

• A student tracking sheet allows students to graph their assessment scores and visually keep track of progress.
• A teacher tracking sheet allows teachers to easily track students’ daily practice and assessment scores. There is a tracking sheet for each level and set.
• A teacher usage tracking sheet allows teachers to keep track of which levels and sets were used and when. Feel free to reuse levels as necessary.
• Select the time that works best for your students. You can try 30 seconds for practice pages and 1 minute for assessments, lengthen the time as needed, or skip the timer all together.

Differentiation:

We know that you know your students best. The Math Fact Fluency Program makes it easy to differentiate. 

• Start students on the level that’s just right for them.
• Use all the sets in a level or just one or two. Repeat sets or levels as many times as you want.
• Assign a different number of problems for students to master.
• Set different time goals, or none at all.
• Mastery looks different for every student. We don’t prescribe a timeline for mastery of certain facts. There’s no pressure to progress through levels.

Why You Will LOVE It

Mixed fact practice from the very beginning

Pages can be printed back to back saving time and paper

Labels make it easy to stay organized

Games that can be added to your math centers to keep practice fun

FAQs:

Q: What level and set do I start with?

A: You can start on any level or set you like. I would suggest starting with a level that covers a skill your students have already learned. This program is not designed to teach students the facts, but to encourage practice and fluency of facts that have already been taught. All of the sets include the same math facts. You can use the sets in any order, or even mix them up.

Q: When do I move students to a new level or set?

A: This is entirely up to you. You can have students working on the same set for a couple of weeks or switch it up every week.

Q: Some of my students are on the same skill and still are not mastering the level. What should I do?

A: Students do not need to master each set to move on to a different set or level. Keep in mind that mastery might look different for each student. We want to encourage fact practice and fluency but not to the point of frustration. Please move your students to additional levels and operations throughout the year so they can practice all the fluency levels covered within your grade level.

Q: How long should I time my students?

A: Fluency can look different for each student, grade level, and school. You can start with 30 seconds for each practice box and a minute for each assessment. Feel free to adjust the time according to your class needs and goals. It is also ok to not time your students. Sometimes the timer stresses students more and can be a negative experience.

Q: When do I incorporate fluency practice into my math block?

A: You can use math fact fluency practice as a warm-up activity, the way that we do in our Third Grade Math Curriculum. Math centers are a great place to include fluency practice. I also had a math fact center. Here they can practice their daily practice page, play math fact games, and even use technology. On Friday you can give the students the assessment.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

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Math Interactive Notebooks - 3rd grade

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Third Grade Math Curriculum