One Method for Improving Fact Rapid Recall

For some students, one of the most difficult obstacles to overcome is the ability to recall facts in the four basic mathematical operations.  To better help students practice their fact memorization, we began minute-long drills last month called "Mad Minutes".  This program is, in fact, a program designed to help students increase their recall of facts in a short amount of time. 

You should have seen some of these pages coming home prior to Thanksgiving.  They have rows of ten problems which are the same operation.  Most recently, students took home 40 subtraction problems to do in one minute.  The guidelines for completion remain as follows:  1.  A timer is set for one minute.  2.  The student works left to right, top to bottom (preferably without skipping during their answering).  3.  When the minute timer rings, the student's pencil stops.  4.  The answers are checked by the student or the parent (or co-worker).  The results are then graphed on the page sent home (a new one went home this week). 

The object of the test is to improve by increasing the score of a student's results by one point each day.  Points are awarded from the beginning of the top row until the student misses a problem, until they leave one out, (from skipping) or from finishing.  It is possible to complete the page but only earn one point because one misses the second problem (this is painful, but it has happened before!). 

By graphing, students will have a visual representation of their progress.  With this, they can reflect on their performance, set goals for improvement, and otherwise pat themselves on the back for a job well done.  This is a great tool for anyone who has felt frustrated by working only with flashcards or with doing practice problems without an immediate "purpose".

As students progress through the standards in math, it becomes more important all the time to have a firm grasp of basic facts to 18 in addition/subtraction, and to the 12's in multiplication/division.  Time spent hopefully guessing and counting on fingers distracts the student from the larger, more complex concepts being presented. 

As we work in fractions, decimals, and percentages, it is apparent that those who have their facts mastered (and are able to apply them to new tasks) have a distinct advantage over those who are still waiting for this ability to develop on its own. 

Please reflect with your child on his or her progress.  Share any insights you have or ways you have been taught to think about these facts with them.  They will feel better about themselves, and they'll definitely appreciate your help!

Previously, I had asked students to have parent signatures on Mad Minutes to verify that they had not been done "on the bus."  At this point, I'm asking that parents sign the graphs when they are completed, to verify that the students have actually completed the Mad Minutes and have earned the scores they have graphed.  My intent is to put the student in the position of monitor of their own progress.  Thank you for all your support!

Sincerely,

Alex McGill