Addition and subtraction facts should not be learned through memorization alone. If we focus only on memorization, there are 200 single-digit addition and subtraction facts children would need to memorize. Instead, we want children to build fluency with these facts, which means that children are able to come up with the answers to these single-digit facts flexibly, accurately, and efficiently.

Word problems. Oh, word problems. They get such a bad rap. But what if word problems aren’t as scary as they’ve been made out to be? What if the fault lies not with the word problems, but with the way we think about them? Moreover, what if the problem is the way we teach children to think about them?

Have you ever asked your child to guess how many there were of something and gotten a blank stare in return? There’s a good reason for this! Estimating isn’t a skill that develops automatically. It takes a lot of practice!

A lack of number sense is frequently the reason given when a student is struggling with math. But what do we really mean when we say “number sense” and why are so many students struggling with it?

Did you know that research suggests that early math is the best predictor of future reading ability? Read more about why early math matters!