Current and confirmed research (see the What Works Clearinghouse) suggests that short distributed practice is more effective for building fluency than concentrated work on one topic. This strategy allows students who struggle in mathematics to fill holes in their background without losing ground on current topics.
Illustrated here is a 5-week program that focuses on developing fluency with whole numbers. Students spend about 10 minutes per day on this work, as they complete four problems and review answers.
With outlines and examples, teachers have tools to create their own daily problems. One problem may be identified for discussion, where students share multiple strategies with convincing arguments if time permits. References to one of the MathLinks Resource Guides provide guidance to the teacher.
Skill Booster Routines are available (or in development) for:
- Whole numbers
- Fractions
- Decimals
- Percents
- Integers
- Expressions and Equations