Memorizing The Math Facts: A Key Skill Your Elementary Child Should Master

The Math Facts is a term educators use to describe fundamental elementary math skills: addition and subtraction, and multiplication and division.

Mathematics is a cumulative subject. Total mastery of elementary arithmetic is essential successfully learning the higher stages of arithmetic of fractions and decimals.

This in turn of the foundation for learning algebra, which is the key to success in high school math. To take it one step further, practice with fundamental arithmathic skills helps develop the mental ability and the symbolic and abstract thinking skills that prepare a student to learn algebra.

You have to walk before you can run. Facility and competence in working with numbers is the prerequisite step for working with variables and functions in high school. The biggest preventable reason for failure and frustration in high school math is weak algebra. And the biggest preventable stumbling block for success in Algebra is inadequate foundation in arithmetic.

That being said, your child’s elementary school is probably not preparing him or her for Middle School and High School math. Unfortunately most elementary schools today do not provide nearly enough practice with addition and subtraction and multiplication and division to build adequate skills.

Here are some ways to practice elementary math skills with your child, not only painlessly, but hopefully make it fun:

• Preschool and Kindergarten Math practice should be out loud and concrete. Anytime you’re playing with or talking to your child you can ask math facts questions based on the numbers 1-10. Make 10 play-doh balls and show how two play-doh balls plus three more equals five play dough balls. Teach your child to count the balls so he or she understands how to get the answer by him or herself. Keep changing the play-doh ball equation until you see your child understands the concept of counting all the play-doh balls together to get to the sum. You can do the same when playing with action figures or toy cars, eating popcorn or raisins, etc.



• Children in First or Second grade are excited and intrigued with larger numbers. If they are learning addition and subtraction in school, they’ll be happy and excited to practice with larger numbers. Children of this age group shouldn’t always need concrete objects available in order practice skills, so you can do a math practice game while riding in the car as easily as at the kitchen table.
  
  One way to master the math facts from 1-20 is to make a number line and visually show how to add and along the numbers on the line. Another fun game is to make a math race. Make up your own Math Facts addition and subtraction questions and see how many your child can answer in one minute. Add more and more questions, even up to 50, can be answered in one minute, once your child has memorized the math facts.



• By the middle of third grade a child should have completely mastered the Addition and Subtraction math facts and the times table. If you’re orally practicing with your child, the best way is to do one number at a time and then keep adding other numbers. Buy an inexpensive times table wall chart or place mat and study it, row-by-row with your child. The goal should be to answer immediately from any times question, even when all mixed up. I would definitely reward a child for memorizing this!!!

By supporting your child in learning these fundamental arithmetic skills, you are giving them a strong foundation to work with all their math careers.