yBuilding Math Fluency: Early Spring: Part 1: Fast Does Not Mean Fluent

Part 1: Fast Does Not Mean Fluent

Reflect:

Video Link: Part 1: Fast Does NOT Mean Fluent
Graham Fletcher's Ignite Talk: From Memory and Memorization - There IS a Difference

Consider the following questions:

Which of the 10 alternative ways to build math fluency have you already tried? (or which ones are you considering trying?)
How do/when will you fit these alternative ways into your school day?
What caused you to pause and think during this video?

Respond:
After watching the videos, please post your response to one {or more} of the prompts above.

Interact:
Read your colleagues' reflections. Feel free to respond to someone by sharing a comment, insight, or interesting possibility.

Comments (17)

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Sara Emerson · 158 weeks ago

I use math games in my classroom regularly for early finishers. I have four math games available, students select the math game they want to play which fosters student choice and engagement, plus students are working on building their fluency. I think I need to rotate games more frequently.
All 10 of the alternatives make so much sense for students to build fluency and their conceptual understanding versus everything being procedural (memorized facts). One of the barriers is time and having the resources to support this. I am excited to dig into the Math Fluency toolkit for new ideas.
I think I need to rethink my math block and begin each day with a fluency routine, versus connecting to the prior days learning from our main math lesson/focus.
There are a number of things that caused me to pause and think during the videos.
1.I wonder about accuracy; how do we support students who are working on building math fluency flexibly but are not accurate?
2.I also wonder about the second-grade math curriculum teaching the standing algorithm trough ungrouping and regrouping. Are we teaching it too early? Some of our early math lessons also used flash cards to learning math mountains. How can I still use math mountains to build fluency without the flash cards?
3.What does a math running record look like?

1 reply · active 157 weeks ago

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Renae Hanson 59p · 157 weeks ago

Hi Sara! You bring up some great questions and I don't have perfect answers to all of them. Here is a shot though...
1) I would continue to use visuals as frequently as possible. Have you tried using the math flips on our math site yet? I think those could be game changers for kids when we ask questions like, "How is side A like side B?" and "How can I use side A to help me with side B?" Here is the math flip folder: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Sa2KaxW9S...
2) I agree with you...I believe that our curriculum jumps to the standard algorithm too quickly! I think that incorporating number routines is the most effective way to build fluency.
3) Check out Dr. Nikki Newton's site - she has some videos on there: https://mathrunningrecords.com/

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Sara Spangler · 157 weeks ago

There are several of the alternatives that are used in my classroom quite frequently. My math block consists of 3 rotations in which one of them is usually "math with a friend". This is their time to play a math fluency game with a friend. Sometimes if they have a technology rotation, they choose to do mathigon before jumping into the assigned task I've given them as well. On the days I don't run rotations, we usually warm up our math block with some sort of number routine. I also have a parent volunteer that comes in once a week and works with several students just on fact fluency using these strategies. She warms up with them by using the subitizing flash cards to play a game, they the student will choose another game to play. I have seen great progress in their number sense from doing this.

I am wondering how we can get a better grasp of ensuring that they are becoming more fluent. While there was a lot of time spent teaching expectations for playing these games, I now see that they are very independent, but I no longer am seeing how they are doing. Yes I can see it in their problem solving skills, but I would a more formal way to ensure their success. Maybe this is what running records do?

Also, time is so precious and our pacing guide pushes us through lessons so quickly, I find it difficult to ensure that the students are truly understanding before having to move on to the next unit and provide these opportunities for building fluency. Understandably there is no quick and easy answer to this, but I am excited to see and hear what other teachers are doing to get it all in!

1 reply · active 157 weeks ago

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Renae Hanson 59p · 157 weeks ago

I am SO excited that you are utilizing your parent helper to practice with the subitizing cards. YAY YOU! good thinking...

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Carissa Loreth · 157 weeks ago

My experience with incorporating the “10 ways” into my instruction has been a learning adventure that constantly helps me evolve my practice. I am familiar with the need for building number sense versus fostering an expectation of memorization. I build number sense routines into our daily work with intentionality. In an effort to create a hands-on, concrete experience for my students, I have used manipulatives along with virtual collections like “Toy Theater” and “BrainingCamp”. My students have a “Choice Board” with games and activities that they are able to complete as part of their daily math rotations - I appreciate the challenge posed by doing “less worksheets”. I have dabbled in using the fluency measures provided through “Acadience” (formerly DIBELS) - which have been great diagnostic/progress monitoring tools for telling me my students’ strengths and growth areas as mathematicians. My formative measures are Exit Slips that I create to go with our learning goals. I have the Number Sense book and use those along with math flips, and “Open Middle” as my go-tos. “Math by Heart’s” website has been helpful in giving students visuals for learning their multiplication and division facts. I give my students personal, laminated anchor charts to refer to visual strategies relevant to our learning focus, and I really try to hone in on them being visuals and less wordy. A book I really enjoyed was “Nix the Tricks”. It talked about the common tricks we learn as mathematicians and conceptual alternatives to build strategies that are adaptive to a multitude of problems.

The “10 ways” will fit naturally into my math block, I also have W.I.N. time at the end of the day where I am able to work with students in small groups or 1-1. Our class begins each day with a number talk and I vary the formats to keep it engaging for students. On a typical day, I do 3 math rotations: work with friends, work with Mrs. Loreth, and a Choice Board for additional practice and gamification of learning goals. My students prefer the rotations over whole-group instruction because they get math in a differentiated format, that is specifically designed to meet their needs - providing just the right balance of support, and challenge.

I connected with the video personally as a mathematician and as a 4th grade teacher. Our students will be better served when we stop focusing on the regurgitation of math facts and instead place emphasis on building a vast repertoire of strategies that can be adapted to fit many problems. The stress, and anxiety induced when students struggle with memorization and speed, speaks volumes, and is a vital part of our evolution as educators - when you know better, you do better, and there is no need to continue with damaging cycles.

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Chelsea Cameron · 157 weeks ago

I'm so relieved that we are talking this route in this fluency adventure. I remember being a student and the timed tests would cause me so much stress and anxiety. Even having these past experiences, I still as a teacher applied these timed tests in my classroom for a few years. Thinking about flexibility with fluency made me pause and think during the video. For some students, memorizing those facts is quick and easy. I assumed it wasn't for me because I was a slow learner. I never considered that maybe I just needed different strategies to help me be more fluent. I'm so happy to be learning more ways to reach my students.
Looking at the 10 alternative ways to build fluency, I've applied a lot of them in my classroom. Hands-on manipulatives have always been a successful strategy for younger students with multiplication and division. In my 5th grade class this year, fluency through games has been an absolute hit! We play different math games about 4 days a week here. I always use the games provided by Renae but I also have families donate different fluency games off amazon. There are over 10 games in my class so the kiddos are able to rotate throughout the game time so they can play several in 1 day. I think the variety of different games allows them to see the numbers and strategies presented in different ways which help deepen understanding. I usually give about 15 minutes of game time after my mini-lesson and independent work time.
I would love to try the personal Journal of students' development. This would be so cool for kids to touch base and see how far they've come.

1 reply · active 156 weeks ago

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Shawn Henderson1 · 156 weeks ago

Hi! I love what you wrote Chelsea. I agree with your thoughts on the fluency adventure. I had also struggled as a student to memorize. Even as a young person I thought to myself that since I don't learn that way nor was I good at memorizing why is this the only strategy to learn the facts. I had flashes of memories coming back during this video of my family trying to teach me math facts, state facts and everything else. I just couldn't do it and I then rationalized that I couldn't do it and that my lack of memorization equaled my intelligence. From them on I was convinced I was a bad student. Where in fact I just thought it was useless to even try. It wasn't until my first year in college did it all come to me that learning on my terms was my only solution and I had to give it a chance. I found my best strategies and was able to make it in school, but once I started teaching the old feeling came back because I was making my kids do something I knew wasn't a good fit. Now, I work with kids who are frustrated to learn and while I empathize with them, I also encourage them to try new strategies, use supports and to change their thinking about math. I think out loud and let them see what I do in math, even if it's different or not traditional. Ugh! I really like the idea of using a personal learning journal because the kids can or might see the connections in their learning and school success. It's a great platform for self discovery. I am also very excited to share this with my colleagues and come up with fun math games to practice skills.

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Stacey Shireman · 157 weeks ago

*Which of the 10 alternative ways to build math fluency have you already tried? (or which ones are you considering trying?)
I will often intentionally do not tell my students how to use a strategy, but instead have them discover and name the strategy themselves during a game or other activity. Exploring and discovering strategies with visuals as a routine is something I'd consider trying. I already track student progress and goals privately as well. Although songs are dear to my heart, I would also consider replacing them with number sense routines that develop deeper understanding and flexibility as opposed to just memorization.

*How do/when will you fit these alternative ways into your school day?
Since the memorization activities are so harmful to students, I suppose the alternatives would be replacing the time spend on memorization activities during the day. I also love Sara's idea of utilizing parent volunteers for a lot of these activities and I can see that as another way to get more in or to focus activities for certain students who may need more.

1 reply · active 155 weeks ago

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Callie (LWES) · 155 weeks ago

I'm not sure about second grade, but I do know my students LOVE starting the math lesson with some kind of routine to get them thinking about numbers. Do you think simple games like "Which One Doesn't Belong" might fit at your grade level? It sure gets kids talking right before diving into a lesson!

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Nani S (RCES) · 157 weeks ago

I have always been a fan of using manipulatives with math. It goes back to my Math Their Way days I have witnessed children who were wonderful mathematicians, but who could not do a time test. I am excited we no longer have to do the time tests or put it on the report card. Thank you Renae!
In my class I use games as a way to help children with numbers. I sometimes use my parent helpers to play math games with a child to help build their knowledge and skill, plus have fun.
I need to work on the technology part of math for my students. I have been using the Braincamp site, but need to try other math sites.
My pause was with our math program. It doesn't seem to fit with what the video talked about.

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Cindy (SLES) · 157 weeks ago

I got fired up the minute she defined "fluency" as including flexibility - and I couldn't help but see how some of what she was saying connects directly with teaching reading and writing. I'm excited to learn more about the strategy based activities. Today, I ditched the math journal and we just worked our story problems out with base ten blocks and whiteboards. Simple, I know... but it created great conversations, students were challenging each other's thinking, and they were way more engaged.

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Shawn Henderson · 156 weeks ago

I am really excited about this class. I had also struggled as a student to memorize. Even as a young person I thought to myself that since I don't learn that way nor was I good at memorizing why is this the only strategy to learn the facts. I had flashes of memories coming back during this video of my family trying to teach me math facts, state facts and everything else. I just couldn't do it and I then rationalized that I couldn't do it and that my lack of memorization equaled my intelligence. From them on I was convinced I was a bad student. Where in fact I just thought it was useless to even try. It wasn't until my first year in college did it all come to me that learning on my terms was my only solution and I had to give it a chance. I found my best strategies and was able to make it in school, but once I started teaching the old feeling came back because I was making my kids do something I knew wasn't a good fit. Now, I work with kids who are frustrated to learn and while I empathize with them, I also encourage them to try new strategies, use supports and to change their thinking about math. I think out loud and let them see what I do in math, even if it's different or not traditional. Ugh! I really like the idea of using a personal learning journal because the kids can or might see the connections in their learning and school success. It's a great platform for self discovery. I am also very excited to share this with my colleagues and come up with fun math games to practice skills. I have a lot to learn about math fluency and a lot to unlearn.

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Callie (LWES) · 155 weeks ago

Love, love, love what Christina has to share here! I've had the benefit of starting this course a few times now (look at how I phrased that positively) so I've had plenty of time to think about her alternatives and I've for sure found my favorites! Number sense routines have been a go-to for months now. We start each math lesson with some kind of game or talk from our bag of tricks. To begin with this year, Which One Doesn't Belong was our favorite. That routine really opened students' eyes to the idea of flexible thinking in math as there's usually no one right answer. As an extra bang for our buck, it enhances their ability to justify their thinking. Lately, we've moved on to Mathler. To say my students are obsessed is an understatement. They are not engaged in the actual math lesson until we've solved the Mather, and often the Nerdle, for the day! I love their collaborative thinking during these talks and how we use the concept of "use what you know to get to what you don't know" to build their flexible thinking. Math has been more enjoyable this year than ever!

1 reply · active 153 weeks ago

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Cacie (RCES) · 153 weeks ago

What Doesn't Belong sounds like it is an amazing place to start! I especially love what you said about justifying their thinking! I would love to build that into our routine right from the beginning next year!

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Cacie (RCES) · 154 weeks ago

I loved that all her ideas were just simple shifts that we can make in our practice but also in our mindsets around math fluency. The example of being fast and accurate in cooking but not fluent really made the idea of being flexible, clear. My favorite idea that she talked about was using math games to work on fluency instead of timed tests. Games are so engaging for first graders and they don't even know that they are working on their math fluency. I also really love using the number routines like choral counting and number strings whole group. Kids are able to hear another kiddo's strategy and way of seeing numbers in different ways and in essence learn from each other. This is another strategy that is so engaging for all kids that their number flexibility is improving over time without them even realizing it! I have seen the amount of stress and anxiety in my kids over the years since stopping using timed tests go way down and more kids are enjoying math as a whole.

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Jessica Hanna · 152 weeks ago

Math talks are amazing in seeing where the kids have actual understanding. I feel like sometimes we focus on fluncey on a worksheet and not flexible thinking. When our goal should be true fluency and not just rote memorization; which tends to be inflexible as they cant use the same numbers in a different way. It drives me crazy that kids can memorize their 5's and 10's but not be able to count nickels and dimes or count minutes on a clock. the more we show them the same numbers but in so many different ways the more flexible their thinking becomes

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Pam · 149 weeks ago

Today's videos caused me to pause and think about how I work on fact fluency. I signed up for this class to learn additional strategies for building math fluency, but have always felt that repeated practice through timed test helps the brain memorize facts. I look forward to learning many new, and effective, ways to build math fluency.

yBuilding Math Fluency: Early Spring

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