Basic Fact Strategies

Basic Fact Strategies

“Math fact fluency refers to the ability to recall the basic facts in all four operations accurately, quickly and effortlessly. When students achieve automaticity with these facts, they have attained a level of mastery that enables them to retrieve them from long-term memory without conscious effort or attention. Brain imaging studies have revealed how the progression from effortful processes such as finger counting and explicit strategy use to automatized retrieval is associated with actual changes in the regions of the brain involved in mathematical computation" (Rivera, Reiss, Eckert, & Menon, 2005)

Basic Fact Strategies

As a student is learning basic math facts, it may help him or her to understand a few simple strategies to help solve these facts.  Yes, ultimately we want students to recited them from memory, but in the meantime they need a strategy.

Counting On Strategy

This strategy is used when adding 0, 1,2, or 3 to any number.

For example: 7+2= __.  The students puts the bigger number in their mind and count up 2. (think 7,8,9)  Other examples would be 3 + 6 =__ (think 6,7,8,9) or     8 + 1 =__ (think 8, 9)   

                                                                                                                         

Counting Back Strategy

This strategy is used when subtracting 0,1,2, or 3 to any number.

For example: 7-2= __.  The students puts the bigger number in their mind and count back 2. (think 7,6,5)  Other examples would be 6 - 3 =__ (think 6,5,4,3) or     8 - 1 =__ (think 8, 7)   

Make 10 Ten

Students make combinations that equal 10. Then they extend to make combinations that are multiples of 10.

5 + 5                         6 + 4                        3 + 7

4 + 6                         7 + 3                        9 + 1

1 + 9                         8 + 2                        2 + 8

Double Facts

1 + 1                         2 + 2                        3 + 3

4 + 4                         5 + 5                        6 + 6

7 + 7                         8 + 8                        9 + 9

Doubles Plus/Minus One

If your child is learning a fact like 6 + 7, these are the steps to think through:

* Double the lower number, which in this case would give you 6 + 6 =12.

* Now add one:(The second 6 was a 7, remember?)

* Think 6 + 6 + 1 = 13 or 12 + 1 = 13.

* Now say the fact: 6 + 7 = 13

One of the things that we must help children do is recognize when to use a particular strategy.  For the Doubles Plus One strategy tell the children "when the numbers are next door neighbors (the numbers are consecutive like 6 and 7) then we can use the doubles plus one strategy."

Doubles Plus/Minus Two

If a child is faced with the 5 + 7 , think through the same steps as Doubles Plus One except add 2 instead of one.  This works for facts that have number that are separated by two.  When helping a child to recognize when to use this strategy tell them to use it "when the numbers are NOT next door neighbors, but two doors down from each other."

Plus 9 Shortcut

If your child is learning a fact like 9 + 5 these are the steps to think through:

* Think 10 + 5 = (which is much easier to add)

* Now minus 1 (Think 15 - 1 + 14)

* Now say the fact: 9 + 5 = 14

* Remind your child that you added 10 + 5 instead of 9 + 5.  That's one more than you started with, so you have to take that one away to get to the correct answer.

Turn Around Facts

These are really easy!

3 + 4 = 4 + 3

References

Adapted from:

Reeves-Hinger Elementary 2^nd Grade. Math Facts Strategies. Retrieved from http://www.canyonisd.net/Page/8657

Portage La Prairie. Teacher Information: Mental Math Strategies. Retrieved from http://www.plpsd.mb.ca/division/Rubrics/Mental%20Math%20Strategies.pdf