NEWS: New Federal Practice Guide in Math Recommends Increased Emphasis on Basic Skills and Fluent Performance

Teaching component and basic skills to fluency so that they may be readily applied to higher order skills and composites may not be news to Precision Teachers who utilize fluency based instruction, and many curricular program packages are structured on that basis, but it's positive to see this gaining some recognition at a policy-maker basis, in this case in the area of mathematics. The report from the What Works Clearinghouse of the US Department of Education is at the end of the post.

Response to Intervention' in Math Seen as Challenging
Educators Explore Advice Laid Out in New Federal Practice Guide on Topic
Education Week, via CEC SmartBrief
Published Online: June 16, 2009
Published in Print: June 17, 2009

[Excerpt]
"...Still, the guide recommends, among other steps, that remediation for students in grades K-5 should focus on the properties of whole numbers, like counting, addition, and subtraction. Older students, up to 8th grade, should learn rational numbers in depth, including the meanings of ratios, decimals, and percentages, the panel recommends.

Another recommendation is that all students who need extra math assistance should work on fluent retrieval of basic arithmetic facts [my emphasis], like simple addition and multiplication. Higher-level mathematics often assumes that students can quickly recall facts like “3 times 9” or “11 minus 7,” when such operations may be difficult for those lagging behind their peers, the panel found..."

IES PRACTICE GUIDE
NCEE 2009-4060
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
WHAT WORKS CLEARINGHOUSE
Assisting Students Struggling with Mathematics: Response to Intervention (RtI) for Elementary and Middle Schools
April 2009, 104pp.

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