Abstract

Math Facts!

Heidi Dill, Krystyn Richards, John Reichmann



In our own experiences, as well as in discussion with colleagues, we discovered that more and more students at the early grades are being promoted without mastering basic math facts. Both past and more recent research has further expressed this problem. Because so often students are taught basic addition separate from subtraction, they do not make the necessary connection between the two mathematical skills. Therefore, there is a need to teach, to automaticity, the basic addition and subtraction of facts (1-10) in tandem so that students will experience greater retention. With this need in mind, we developed a supplementary program designed to assist students in the primary grades (first grade) with the mastery of the basic facts they will need to succeed in later grades.  “...it is important for students to master their basic math facts well enough that their recall becomes automatic, stored in their long-term memory, leaving room in their working memory to take in new math processes.” (information taken from a 2006 report by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics)