Fluency Without Fear: Research Evidence on the Best Ways to Learn Math Facts By Jo Boaler

Fluency Without Fear: Research Evidence on the Best Ways to Learn Math Facts by Jo Boaler (2015)

Found a few years ago during my ALiM work, I keep referring back to this article and  https://www.youcubed.org/ website. This work is about developing number sense instead of memorization of facts, it unpacks the idea of learning math facts along with a deep understanding of numbers and the ways they relate to each other.

In a critical research project, researchers studied students as they solved number problems (Gray & Tall, 1994). The researchers concluded that low achievers are often low achievers not because they know less but because they don’t use numbers flexibly – they have been set on the wrong path, often from an early age, of trying to memorize methods instead of interacting with numbers flexibly (Boaler, 2009). 

Based on my experience, some teachers want their students to drill in basic facts and times tables as this is 'a good old school that worked well in the past'. Saying that we don't really have any research data to support this statement. I remember a lot of my classmates who hated maths because they didn't understand it or had to sit timed tests. I was one of them and I didn't enjoy that 'good old school' approach. 

I believe that the current decline in student achievement in maths is caused by a lack of maintenance or an unbalanced or inconsistent maths programme. 

• Do we all have a solid maths block every day four or five times a week? 
• Do our students practise and apply the knowledge and concepts taught in class or just do some busy work during their independent activities? 
• How can they develop fluency without mileage and purposefully created and provided opportunities? 

According to the NZC,  'number' should be the focus of 60–80 percent of mathematics teaching time during the first four years at school and 50-70 percent afterwards. 

Here comes a common misunderstanding or misconception. The curriculum requires a lot of time teaching 'number', but modern research talks about reasoning. The answer is simple. The 'old school' is about memorizing facts while the modern school is about developing fluency through making sense and connections, and talking about reasons for the use of different methods. Students need to learn to calculate through number sense, as well as spend time on problem-solving and reasoning. 

One of the great methods for teaching number sense and math facts at the same time is a teaching strategy called ‘number talks’ that many of us have been implementing already. Research tells us that the best mathematics classrooms are those in which students learn number facts and number sense through engaging activities that focus on mathematical understanding rather than rote memorization. (Jo Boaler)

At the end of her article, Jo compiled some great and engaging activities that can be used in any classroom to support your tamariki number sense development.