Building Multiplication and Division Fluency in the Classroom
What are some classroom activities that I can use to build fluency?
Count by…
Do you ever count down from a number while your students transition from activity to activity? Why not try skip-counting? Start at 20 and count down by twos. Or tell students that they have until the number 100 to transition while you skip count by 10s. When the students have transitioned, they raise their hand and tell you which number you were skip-counting by.
Bump
Students sit in a circle. One student decides which number the class will count BY and one student decides which number the class will count TO. Students will skip count one by one in a circle. If they do not know the next number OR if they get to the final number in the set (as determined by their peer at the beginning of the round), they get “bumped” to the middle of the circle. Accommodations should be provided for students who are performing significantly below grade level (I give them a multiplication chart or hundreds chart if necessary).
Quiz Time!
During moments where students are waiting for dismissal or transition to a new space, use a set of multiplication/division flashcards to do a “quiz game.” Choose an equation and a student name at random. If they answer correctly, choose a small prize such as a piece of candy or ticket or any other reward system that you use. If they answer incorrectly, you can give them an opportunity to use a strategy to correct their answer so they still have access to that prize. Choose a few equations and names each time for some quick practice!
Daily Warmup
Put skip-counting by numbers 2-12 on a poster in your classroom. Each day during morning meeting or before math, use a random number generator or have a student choose which number you will count by.
Do-A-Dot Skip Counting Pages
Use these Skip-Counting Do-a-Dot Mazes to help students practice their skip counting for numbers 2-12. If you do not have bingo dotters, you can have them color the dots with marker or crayon.
