Let's Talk About Math Facts Fluency!

Check out our latest addition! First Grade Common Core Math Practice, Fluency, and Mastery Packet

Welcome to Phenomenal First Grade! This zipped file contains 101 files and is a packet of materials that has been designed according to Common Core Standards for fluently mastering facts within ten. Experts agree that a student who can correctly answer a variety of facts at a pace of 3 seconds per fact is considered proficient and fluent in that skill. This pack contains everything you need to help your students practice and fluently master their addition and subtraction facts within ten, while tracking their growth and progress along the way. It's a school packet and a home packet. It includes a parental partnership in practicing these facts. 

***CCSS.Math.Content.1.OA.C.6 Add and subtract within 20, demonstrating fluency for addition and subtraction within 10. Use strategies such as counting on; making ten (e.g., 8 + 6 = 8 + 2 + 4 = 10 + 4 = 14); decomposing a number leading to a ten (e.g., 13 – 4 = 13 – 3 – 1 = 10 – 1 = 9); using the relationship between addition and subtraction (e.g., knowing that 8 + 4 = 12, one knows 12 – 8 = 4); and creating equivalent but easier or known sums (e.g., adding 6 + 7 by creating the known equivalent 6 + 6 + 1 = 12 + 1=13).

This packet is a complete product that will help you and your first grade students and families reach success with this endeavor. It’s 101 organized mathematical files to help your first graders master their facts within ten fluently. (in less than 3 seconds per fact). Included in this pack is also a complete data tracking system of student growth and achievement in math facts.

Included in this pack are:

•  20 pages of flash cards for both addition and subtraction facts within ten
•  36 pages of home practice sheets for orally practicing the math facts within ten. Two sides for each set of   facts practiced.
•  40 pages of 1 minute math probes for both addition and subtraction. There are ten different versions of addition and subtraction probes in both a teacher and student copy. These are great progress monitoring tools.
•  2 pages for student tracking growth on the probes
•   1 page for a teacher tracking sheet of student growth
•   1 page for a Math Facts Homework Log

Homework Math Facts Log

Keep Reading to see how we use the materials in the packet!

One thing we always seek to do is to make things easier for all involved when working on tasks. Management of a facts practice system gets out of control easily. The amount of papers and pages become unmanageable for student, parent, and teacher. We have found a solution. First of all, get the parents involved in this process. Part of our homework assignments each day include facts practice. In this packet, a homework math facts log is included. (We also have a reading log which we put on the other side, so each week, the student brings home one page for reading and math. The fewer papers, the better! J)

How we use the system: 

• The first part is a home system of math facts practice using flash cards, a math facts log, and a teacher facts practice/mastery sheet.
•  Create folders for the plus and minus flash cards (there is a full page of flash cards for each addition and subtraction fact; +1, +2, +3, etc. and -1, -2, -3, etc. All facts are within 10) and home practice sheets (The home practice sheets correlate to the flash cards. Side a has just the current fact being practiced (i.e. all +3’s) and Side b has a cumulative page of mastered facts combined with the new fact being practiced (i.e. +1, +2, & +3) ). We keep these folders in a bin with the teacher facts practice/mastery sheet in the front. (The teacher page is to help keep track of where each student is. As they bring back a mastered practice page within the allotted time, we can give them the next set of flash cards and practice sheet, which is practiced orally) 
• Start with the plus ones and minus ones flash cards. We run off the flash cards on white paper. Send home the flash cards and the corresponding home practice sheets. We have been copying the home practice pages on colored paper back to back. i.e. On pink paper, the Plus One Side a on the front, the Plus One Side b on the back. The Minus One on pink paper also with Minus One Side a on the front and Minus One Side b on the back.
• It is helpful to send a note to parents explaining how this process works. Telling them the standard and that it will be considered part of the homework assignment each day will help this process greatly. Students work on mastering the facts quickly with the flash cards first. Next, the parent times the student on Side a. If they can answer 90% of the facts correctly in less than 2 minutes, 6 seconds (3 seconds per fact), they would be considered proficient for that page (That’s 37 out of the 42 facts on the page correct). Next, the parent times the student on the Side b and records the time it took to answer the facts on the Math Facts Homework Log. Again, proficiency is 90% accuracy at less than 2 minutes, 6 seconds.
• As students master each type of fact, you can send home the next set of flash cards and practice pages. As the new flash cards go home, I tell parents to add them to the bag they have already started. This way students continually practice the cumulative facts.
• As students master the facts, you can record their achievements on the Teacher Flash Card/Mastery Tracking Sheet.

Flash Cards - Each fact set has it's own page

                                                 

Sample Home Practice Sheets for +8 - Copy doublesided. Each fact for additon and                     subtraction has it's own home practice sheet.

teacher facts mastery fact

• The next piece is a classroom progress monitoring system using 1 minute addition and subtraction probes. There is a teacher copy and a student copy of each probe. There are 10 versions of addition facts within 10 and subtraction facts within 10. Student tracking graphs, for both addition and subtraction, that the students can fill out themselves are also included.
• Let’s talk about the Math Probes. The Math Probes are created to progress monitor student growth on the mixture of the addition and subtraction facts within 10. To be considered proficient on these, students should be able to answer 20 addition or 20 subtraction facts correctly within 1 minute. Again, it is 3 seconds per fact. Each probe has 30 examples to cover any errors students may make. There is a Teacher Copy and Student Copy for each of the ten different versions of both addition and subtraction probes. The Teacher Copy is used to write the student score and any anecdotal notes. The Student Copy is placed in front of the student and has less ‘noise’ on the paper. Just the facts. Each Probe is clearly marked at the top of the page. Both the type and version of each is clearly displayed for easy grabbing. You can even copy the Student Copies on card stock and keep in a binder for easy organization and pulling. 

                      Sample Student Probe Copy                            Sample Teacher Probe Copy

• When completing the probes, you can have the student bring their own copy of the Student Tracking Graph. You can run off the Addition Graph on one side and the Subtraction Graph on the other. As I complete the 1 minute probes with the students, they can color the graph to show how many facts they’ve mastered in 1 minute. Getting them involved and setting goals, sparks their interest and motivation to keep on practicing. Helping to see the goal definitely means more to the students.

  Student Addition Tracking Graph                    Student Subtraction Tracking Graph

That’s it! That’s the process we use. Of course you can use the materials any way you would like, but we thought it would be helpful to see how we use it. It’s really helped our students master the facts quicker this year. They love being part of the process! 

Contact us with any questions, comments, or suggestions.