How to prepare students for math success Make sure they memorize math facts Webinar with Dr. Don Crawford

Dr Don Crawford Educator for 40 years, at all levels in both regular and special education Ph.D. from the University of Oregon Curriculum author of several instructional programs Published scholarly articles and given teacher training workshops

How to prepare students for math success Make sure they memorize math facts We will discuss these topics: What are math facts and why are they important for future math success. What happens when students haven’t memorized math facts. How can you best help students learn math facts.

Math facts are the “atoms” of math—things you just need to remember. They are not computation problems that you work step-by-step.

It’s important to know math facts from memory for Doing Computation Addition Subtraction Multiplication Division Estimating and Mental Math Understanding Pre-Algebra Fractions Decimals Percentages Ratios

Reducing 8/24 to 1/3 shouldn’t be MAGIC It is important to know math facts from memory to Check the answers on a calculator. Understand manipulations of fractions How are 3 2 6 8 4 5 7 the same? 9 6 18 24 12 15 21 Reducing 8/24 to 1/3 shouldn’t be MAGIC

When students in the primary grades have not memorized math facts They find it harder to learn computation because trying to remember or figure out the facts distracts them from the process. They are much slower at doing math so they don’t get as much practice.

When students in upper elementary have not memorized math facts They find it very difficult to complete math assignments at their grade level. They tend to fall behind grade level expectations by upper elementary. They are not able to estimate or do mental math.

When students reach middle school without memorizing math facts Grade level instruction is very confusing for them to follow. The manipulations of fractions, decimals and percentages in pre-algebra don’t make intuitive sense. They can’t keep up in pre-algebra and are not ready for algebra in high school.

Three features of math practice materials or apps needed to make learning math facts possible! Practice should be sequential and focus on just the facts needed to be learned next. Each student must be provided the individualized amount of practice they need to memorize successfully. The correction procedure used during practice must be clear, immediate, and require the student to demonstrate learning.

www.rocketmath.com Rocket Math is effective because The facts are introduced in a carefully thought out sequence. No “new” facts are introduced until the student has fully mastered all the ones introduced so far. The app provides immediate correction and ensures the student knows the answer before going on. www.rocketmath.com

Thank You

Q & A