Your kid struggles with adding single digit numbers together and reverts to using their fingers when facing larger numbers. Or perhaps your soon-to-be middle school student still doesn't have her multiplication facts memorized. What should you do? Should you work with your child to memorize math facts? Are flashcards the best way to help your child memorize math facts?
Focus on Practice
Many confuse fluency and number sense with memorizing. Fluency and number sense come from understanding the concept and having a strong skill set. Memorizing math facts is more like memorizing any other set of random numbers, like how you might memorize a phone number or address.
Math education experts continue to debate the value of memorization. Some experts, like Jo Boaler a professor of mathematics education at Stanford, say rote memorization does more harm than good. Some experts, like Dr. Don Crawford of Rocket Math, say memorizing math facts is a critical step in one’s math education.
At Mathnasium, we notice that kids who develop fluency and number sense often end up memorizing many math facts as a byproduct of their math practice. As long as they develop the skills to efficiently figure out a math fact, memorization is not critical. Repetitive practice is an action necessary to learn a new skill. Just as a child learning to swim should swim a lot, a child learning a math skill should practice it a lot. Number sense and numerical fluency require sufficient practice with math facts.
Repetitive practice will help your child solve math facts quickly and accurately without using a lot of “brain power.” Educators and cognitive psychologists often call this ability “automaticity" Automaticity with basic math facts is definitely helpful because it will free up brain-power for analyzing the math problems in more depth.
Repetitive practice does not replace comprehension and understanding. Before you consider helping your child get extra practice, make sure they understand the operation at the conceptual level first.
Can you still recite the times tables or the quadratic formula? People often forget random facts. If students understand their math facts at the conceptual level, and also have problem solving strategies in place, they will be able to solve the math facts easily, even years after their memory fades.
Here are Six Ideas to Help Your Child Practice Math Facts
What is the best way to practice math facts? The best method for practicing math facts is whatever your child will do and enjoy. It is important to practice consistently, but it is not important that they always practice the same way.
1. Flashcards
If you and your child enjoy using flashcards, there is nothing wrong with them. They are quick and portable, making them a convenient learning tool. Children can even use them by themselves.
Many children, however, find flashcards to be stressful and/or boring. Many parents have a hard time focusing on the process, rather than the speed. If you are going to use flash cards with your child, focus on practicing a skill rather than the goal of having the facts “memorized.”
If you are looking for other ways to get in some repetitive practice, try these ideas.
2. Hop Scotch
Using sidewalk chalk, draw a hopscotch board, and write math facts inside each square. Have your child solve each math fact as they jump into each square. This trick is fun and helpful for kinesthetic learners. The rhythm of jumping and saying the facts aloud is also helpful for auditory learners.
3. Singing songs
Help your child practice their multiplication tables by creating songs and singing them. For example, skip count by threes by singing, “3, 6, 9, 12, 15, etc.” to the tune of “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.” There are lots of examples on YouTube.
4. Math Toss
Play catch with a ball. Call out a math fact each time you pass the ball to your child. They must solve the equation before they can pass the ball back. Larger groups of kids can play this game, and they will have fun trying to stump one another.
5. Play with Dice
Roll two dice and have your child add or multiply the two numbers. If your child enjoys a bit of competition, “keep score” by writing the sum or product of each roll. Whoever has the most points at the end of ten rounds wins.
6. Play Board Games and Card Games
Read our articles about board games and card games for more ideas (see the list below).
Summer is the perfect time to help your child catch up in math. If they are struggling with their math facts, Mathnasium of Parker can help them with both understanding and getting extra practice. Mathnasium’s proven method will help build math confidence for life. Give us a call to find out how we can support your child in math 303-840-1184.
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