Use Rocket Math Worksheet Program or Online Tutor or both for math fact fluency?

Rocket Math now has added an Online Tutor to its tried-and-true Worksheet Program.  Customers ask, “Which should I use?  Should I use both?”

Dr. Don’s answer is “Yes, I do recommend using both.  As that opinion may appear self-serving, here’s why.”

1) Online Tutor is an easier route to math fact fluency.

Most students begin passing levels in the Online Tutor right away.  They find it quicker and easier and can sometimes pass more than one level in a day.  This gives the students a taste of success.  The Online Tutor helps them realize they can learn facts and make progress almost from the first day.  Students are then more willing to do the Worksheet Program as well.  Rarely, there are a few younger students who cannot input answers within 3 seconds.  They won’t be able to pass levels and will have to start over many times on the Online Tutor.  When monitoring them in the Online Tutor, such students will have difficulty scores over 3.  If that’s the case, the Worksheet Program is more flexible, and they may prefer that.  But for most students with difficulty scores below 2 in the Online Tutor, they will require a lot less practice to pass levels with the Online Tutor than in the Worksheet Program. That means it will be easier and quicker to learn the facts.

2) The Online Tutor is easier for teachers to implement.

The Online Tutor is easier for teachers to get started using.  Teachers don’t have to print out worksheets, maintain files or organize student pairs, or manage their practice.  It is, therefore, easier to implement.  Less than enthusiastic teachers, who might not start the worksheets, will at least start doing the Online Tutor. After they see the success of the Online Tutor and the students’ enthusiasm, they will be more willing to do the Worksheet Program.

3) The Online Tutor provides consistent quality of practice.

The Worksheet Program is dependent upon the quality of practice in each classroom. Quality of practice is dependent upon the skill of the teacher in teaching routines and getting compliance from the students in following procedures. Therefore, the quality of learning varies, whereas with the Online Tutor the quality of practice is consistent.  I have had teachers report that they are seeing, in daily lessons, better fluency in facts than they saw previously with the Worksheet Program.  The teachers who say that, are telling me they did not get students to practice well in their classroom.  With less skilled teachers the Online Tutor is definitely better.  The only variable with the Online Tutor is whether teachers give students the time to practice and if they can effectively assign homework.  Both of those are issues with the Worksheet Program as well.

4) The Online Tutor checks every single fact for speed of response.

The Worksheet Program bases individual goals upon writing speed, so we are basically demanding that students write answers to math facts as fast as they can.  That’s a high bar and requires a lot of practice.  The bar is not as high with the Online Tutor–as everyone has the same 3 second expectation for a one digit answer, and 4 seconds for a two digit answer. If students are using a touch screen and are 8 years old, that’s not as demanding as it could be. That’s why they go through the levels faster. However, every single fact is checked for time, which we can’t do with the Worksheet Program. Because the Online Tutor checks the speed of response to every single fact, it’s more rigorous that way.

5) The Online Tutor is easier for parents to support.

Both Worksheet Program and Online Tutor can (and should!) be done at home.  The Worksheet Program’s homework component is for students to bring home the worksheet they tested that day and practice with a parent or sibling, the same way they practiced in school.  That takes someone’s time.  The Online Tutor only requires access to a device (Rocket Math works well on parents’ phones!), and once the student logs in, the computer does the correcting and rewarding.  The Online Tutor is easier for parents to support and gets a foot in the door.  Once they see their child’s success and enthusiasm, parents are more willing to do the Worksheet Program. Which will provide more and better learning.

6) Worksheet Program has higher demands for math fact fluency.

Two students participating in one of Rocket Math's math fluency programsCompared to the Online Tutor, the Worksheet Program is a bit harder to pass a level.  By basing individual goals on the Writing Speed Test, we can be sure that students are answering a large number of facts as fast as they can write. This is a high bar. Generally, we see that students have to practice with their partners more time before they pass they pass a level, so students learn facts better with it. They are more solid in their knowledge of facts when they are done with an operation like multiplication in the Worksheet Program than they are if they just run through multiplication in the Online Tutor.  This is a reason not to do the Online Tutor only.  Of course, students are even stronger in their facts when they practice with both.

7) Saying the facts aloud in the Worksheet Program develops an important learning channel.

The purpose of learning math facts is to make it easier for students to learn and do basic computation. The Worksheet program develops verbal memory for facts.   In the Worksheet Program students practice by saying the facts aloud along with the answer, without hesitation.  For example, “Nine times seven is sixty-three.”  Repeating these over and over day after day, creates a verbal chain in memory. Because of this verbal chain, once the fact is learned, forever after, when saying the fact to oneself, “Nine times seven is….” the answer, “Sixty-three,” pops into mind, unbidden.  That’s automaticity and that’s the goal.  This is another channel other than what is developed in the Online Tutor.

8) Writing the facts daily in the Worksheet Program will generalize to written computation more readily.

Math work is written, so the Worksheet Program (which is also written) is closer to how math facts will be used.  Each day students get into the habit of doing math as quickly as they can.  They develop the expectation that they should do math quickly.  That means this program will generalize better to computation assignments.  It will take longer to pass a Learning Track, but when they are done, you will see a bigger benefit to students doing math assignments when they finish the Worksheet Program than with the Online Tutor.  Which is yet another reason to do both programs.

9) The Worksheet Program provides computation practice to maintain fluency.

After students learn the facts, the most important thing is to provide students with practice using the facts in computation.  Many of today’s math programs have very little to no computation practice built into the program.  The Rocket Math Worksheet Program has learning tracks that provide short 3-minute daily practice assignments in computation.  The Learning Computation tracks have assessment so students can be placed at the right level and can gradually improve their computation skills as well as cement in those math facts so they can maintain fluency.

10) Using both the Worksheet Program & Online Tutor develops math fact fluency twice.

Because students are moving through the two programs at different rates, they will get two passes at learning the facts.  That means they are getting twice as much learning.  The facts will be known better and more readily called to mind during computation when both programs are used.

Rocket Math Adds Beginning Numerals & Counting Program

A screenshot of Rocket Math’s Beginning Numerals counting worksheet showing how students choose the numeral besides the images to show how many objects are in an image.

Beginning Numerals and Counting

Dr. Don has created another math program and put it into the Universal level virtual filing cabinet at Rocket Math. This is a beginning program for kindergarten students and is to help them learn counting and numerals. That means they can’t learn on their own, the teacher must provide instruction. Teachers can use the counting objects kindergarten worksheets to effectively teach students to count objects aloud and then match the word with the numeral. You can see the top half of Worksheet A above.

If you’re already a Rocket Math Universal Level subscriber, you can find the worksheet in your virtual filing cabinet. Not a subscriber yet? Get the counting worksheets.

I Do: Demonstration of Counting

Each worksheet begins with a demonstration of counting objects and circling the numeral that matches. On Worksheet A, there are only the numerals two and three to learn. The teacher demonstrates (best with a document camera so all students can see) how she counts the objects and then points out that the answer is circled. Suggested teaching language is something like this,

“I can do these. Watch me count the frogs. One, two, three.. There are three frogs in this box. So they circled the three. Everybody, touch here where the three is circled. Good.

How many frogs were in this box, everybody? Yes, three.

Now watch me do the next box.”

 

We Do: Counting Together

In the “We Do” portion of the worksheet, the teacher counts the stars first as a demo and then with the students. Worksheet A you all just count three stars. Suggested teaching language is something like this:

“Our ‘We Do’ says to touch and count. Start at zero and count each star.

We are going to touch and count the stars. Put your counting finger on zero,

everybody. We are going to start at zero and count each star. Let’s count.

One, two, three. We counted three stars. That was great!

Let’s do it again! Fingers on zero, everybody. Let’s count. One…”

By Worksheet S the teacher and the students are counting 12 stars together.

The program has a page of teacher directions with suggested language for teaching the worksheets.

 

You Do: Independent Counting

A screenshot of the worksheet portion You Do, with a grid of three by five squares each with images to count and numbers to choose from.

In the “You do” portion of the worksheet (after learning the numerals with the teacher), the students are asked to count the items in each box and circle the correct number. They are not asked to form the numerals–that’s numeral writing skill. They just identify the numeral and circle it. Besides cute items, there are also dice to count, fingers to count, and hash marks to count–so students can learn multiple ways of keeping track of numbers.

Passing a level requires 100% accuracy. Students who make any errors should be worked with until they can complete the worksheet independently and get all the items correct.

 

Rocket Math’s Counting objects worksheets for Kindergarten

This Beginning numerals program will build strong beginning math skills for kindergarten students learning the meaning of numerals. Combined with Rocket Writing for Numerals it will set students up for success in elementary math.

If you’re already a Rocket Math Universal Level subscriber, you can find the worksheet in your virtual filing cabinet [use your link]. Not a subscriber yet? Get the counting worksheets.

 

 

Math Worksheets for Kindergarten, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th grade+

Rocket Math worksheets are a great way to teach math facts to children of all ages – starting as early as kindergarten when students begin learning how to count and read and write numbers. The many learning tracks available in the Worksheet Program are designed for daily practice to build a solid foundation of basic math skills.

The learning tracks of the Universal Level Worksheet Program follow a simple structure and routine to help students progress at an appropriate rate throughout their different grade levels. Throughout the sequence, students learn the underlying skills necessary to be successful in any math curriculum throughout elementary and middle school. While Rocket Math Worksheets are not a complete math curriculum, they develop all the skills that are assumed, but seldom taught well in elementary math curricula. 

If you have students behind for their grade level, our worksheet program makes it easy for you to revisit previous lessons that will reinforce the concepts necessary to move forward. Likewise, plenty of learning tracks within the program keep advanced students engaged.

Kindergarten Math Worksheets

Beginning Numerals (Counting) Learning Track

Rocket Math kindergarten math worksheets beginning numerals Worksheet DThis is a beginning program for kindergarten students.  It teaches them to count objects aloud and then match the word with the numeral. Please note: Unlike most math worksheets learning tracks, this program is teacher-directed rather than peer teaching. 

Each worksheet begins with a demonstration of counting objects and circling the numeral that matches. On Worksheet A, students only need to learn numbers two and three. First, the teacher demonstrates (best with a document camera so all students can see) how to count the objects and then points out that the answer has a circle around it.  In the “We do” portion of the worksheet, the teacher counts the stars first as a demo and then with the students. For Worksheet A, just count 3 stars. By Worksheet S, the teacher and the students are counting 12 stars together. In the “You do” portion, the students independently complete tasks like the ones demonstrated by the teacher at the top of the worksheet.  By the end of this learning track, kindergarteners can consistently count objects, lines, dots, and fingers up to 12 and identify the corresponding numeral.

Conceptual Addition (Counting On) Learning Track

Rocket Math kindergarten worksheets Conceptual Addition (Counting On) Worksheet

Conceptual Addition is a teacher-led exercise, rather than peer teaching. Each worksheet begins with an “I Do” portion that is a teacher-modeled demonstration. “I Do” is followed by a “We Do” portion where the teacher leads the students in doing the problems together. The last portion is called “You Do,” which students should be able to complete independently following teacher instruction and modeling.

For the first four worksheets, the objective is to count all the objects in two groups to find the sum. When modeling, teachers should slash the objects with a pencil while counting. Students should do the same. The answer keys show the objects slashed. Starting in Set E, counting exercises no longer begin at one nor progress one by one. Students learn the concept of “counting on.” “Counting on” means to start with a number such as “4” and “count on” from there (five, six, and so on). Students also learn the concept of adding two to four by starting with four and “counting on” two more.

Rocket Writing for Numerals Learning Track

Rocket Math kindergarten math worksheets Rocket Writing for Numerals

One of the most important math-related skills for kindergarteners is to learn how to write numerals properly. It is important for children to learn the most efficient way to write numerals. This skill is the first building block to learning math.  

Rocket Writing for Numerals is a 72-page learning track for students to learn how to write the numerals efficiently. This program begins with how to write numerals and continues until students can write 40 digits in a minute. It is part of the Rocket Math Universal Worksheet Program and is designed to be practiced on a daily basis.

1st Grade Math Worksheets

If students in first grade cannot write numerals legibly and efficiently, they should begin the year with Rocket Writing for Numerals. If students have not learned the concept of what it means to add in kindergarten with the Conceptual Addition learning track, that is recommended. Once they understand the concept of addition, first graders are ready to begin memorizing addition facts.  

Addition 0 through 9s Learning Track

Rocket Math 1st grade math worksheets Addition 0 through 9s

 

The Rocket Math Worksheet Program includes Addition 0 through 9s. Students work through 26 levels (A to Z) learning two facts and their reverses on each level. For this learning track, like most of the learning tracks, students practice orally for 2 minutes with a partner who corrects any hesitations or errors.  The students then switch roles and practice again, followed by a 1-minute daily test to see if they are ready to move on to the next worksheet. For peer teaching like this to be effective, the teacher will need to teach their students how to practice and how to correct errors. Here’s a blog on how to best manage peer teaching.  

Add-Subtract Fact Families to 10 Learning Track

Rocket Math 1st grade math worksheets Fact Families 1 to 10Alternatively, once students have learned the concepts for both addition and subtraction, they can begin to learn fact families. Our Add-Subtract Fact Families to 10 worksheet program begins teaching fact families. For example, Set D of this worksheet (pictured) teaches the four related math facts of a fact family such as 3+2, 2+3, 5-2, and 5-3.

Addition-Learning Computation Learning Track

Addition-Learning Computation WorksheetOnce students master addition math facts, they need to learn how to do multi-digit addition problems, such as adding 35 + 48. Teachers can start their students on the Addition-Learning Computation learning track. This learning track extends computational skills in addition up to the 4th grade. It is teacher-directed and includes suggested scripts for tutoring or small group instruction. There is an assessment to determine where to begin, although, for first-grade students, it is at the beginning. 

Add to 20 Learning Track

Common Core suggests that students be fluent with addition math facts up to 20, such as 13+6=19. Rocket Math’s Universal subscription includes an Add to 20 learning track.

2nd Grade Math Worksheets

Upon starting second grade, students should have mastered all of the addition math facts. If they have not mastered those facts, teachers should have students start with the first-grade worksheets until they are ready to move forward.

Subtraction 0 through 9s Learning Track

Rocket Math 2nd grade math worksheets Subtraction 0 through 9s

Once students master the first-grade level learning tracks, second-grade students go on to memorize subtraction facts in the Subtraction 0 through 9s learning track. For this learning track, like most of the learning tracks, students practice orally for 2 minutes with a partner who corrects any hesitations or errors.  The students then switch roles and practice again, followed by a 1-minute daily test to see if they are ready to move on to the next worksheet. For peer teaching like this to be effective, the teacher will need to teach their students how to practice and how to correct errors. Here’s a blog on how to best manage peer teaching.  

Subtraction-Learning Computation Learning Track

Subtraction-Learning Computation WorksheetTypically, second graders should be proficient in subtraction and addition by the end of the year. Once students master subtraction math facts, students need to learn how to do multi-digit subtraction problems such as 62 – 48. Teachers can start their students on the Subtraction-Learning Computation learning track. The program helps students learn re-grouping (a.k.a. “borrowing”). This learning track extends computational skills in subtraction up to the 4th grade. It is teacher-directed and includes suggested scripts for tutoring or small group instruction. There is an assessment to determine where to begin, although, for second-grade students, it is at the beginning. 

Add-Subtract Fact Families 11 to 18 Learning Track

Rocket Math 2nd grade math worksheets Fact Families 11 to 18

If students have been using the Fact Families Program in first grade, it is best to continue using that sequence. Second graders should be ready for Add-Subtract Fact Families 11 to 18. The last ten levels of this program review all the fact families, allowing students to master addition and subtraction by the time they reach Level Z.

Subtract from 20 Learning Track

Common Core suggests that students be fluent with subtraction facts up to 20, such as 19-6=13. Rocket Math has made available a program, Subtract from 20, so students can practice these facts.

 3rd Grade Math Worksheets

The priority for third grade is to learn the concept of multiplication and then memorize those facts. Textbooks typically begin teaching the concept of multiplication from very early in 3rd grade.

Conceptual Multiplication Math Learning Track

Rocket Math 3rd grade math worksheets Conceptual Multiplication

Conceptual Multiplication is a learning track to teach the concept of multiplication. It is based on skip counting or count-bys. However, in this learning track, students can read all the count-by series except the last number, making it unnecessary for students to have memorized the skip counting sequences to do this learning track.

For this learning track, like most of the learning tracks, students practice orally for 2 minutes with a partner who corrects any hesitations or errors.  The students then switch roles and practice again, followed by a 1-minute daily test to see if they are ready to move on to the next worksheet. For peer teaching like this to be effective, the teacher will need to teach their students how to practice and how to correct errors. Here’s a blog on how to best manage peer teaching.  

Conceptual Multiplication is essential for students who have not been introduced to multiplication in their regular math curriculum but are otherwise ready to start memorizing multiplication facts. Students do NOT need this learning track if they can determine the answer to any multiplication fact when you ask them, for example, “What’s seven times eight?” If they can figure out the answer to that question, they already understand the concept of multiplication and can go on to memorizing.

Rocket Math 3rd grade math worksheets Multiplication Worksheet

Multiplication (0 through 9s) Learning Track

The Rocket Math Multiplication (0 through 9s) Learning Track builds strong multiplication fact fluency and recall. This learning track prevents the problem of students having to look up facts in times tables repeatedly. 

Achieving mastery of multiplication facts is the only way for students to keep up in math throughout elementary and middle school. Even if students come to you without having a solid foundation in addition and subtraction facts, your top priority must be to help students develop fluency in multiplication facts before they leave you.

Multiply-Divide Fact Families to 20 Learning Track

Fact Families to 20 WorksheetAlternatively, once students have learned the concepts for both multiplication and division, they can begin to learn fact families. Our Multiply-Divide Fact Families to 20 worksheet program begins teaching multiplication and division fact families. For example, Set A of this worksheet (pictured) teaches the four related math facts of a family:  2÷1=2, 1×2=2, 2÷2=1, and 2×1=2.

Identifying Fractions Learning Track

Identifying Fractions Worksheet

For quick-learning students, who get through the basic learning track before the end of the year, an excellent supplemental Rocket Math Worksheet Program is the Identifying Fractions learning track. This is appropriate any time from third grade up through fifth.  This learning track teaches students how to identify proper fractions, improper fractions and mixed numbers as you can see in the example above from Set A. It teaches fractions with denominators up to twelfths.  This learning track prevents  the most common misunderstandings about fractions by teaching with carefully selected examples that demonstrate the correct understanding of fractions.

Multiplication 10s, 11s,12s Learning TrackMultiplication 10s, 11s, 12s Worksheet

Multiplication 10s, 11s, 12s. Building upon the facts from Multiplication 1s to 9s, students progress quickly through this next set of facts. And, of course, students consider it a badge of honor to be members of the “tens, elevens, and twelves” club!

Multiplication-Learning Computation Learning Track

Multiplication-Learning Computation WorksheetOnce students master multiplication math facts, they need to learn how to do multi-digit multiplication problems such as multiplying 6 x 37. Teachers can start their students on the Multiplication-Learning Computation learning track. This learning track extends computational skills in multiplication up to the 5th grade. It is teacher-directed and includes suggested scripts for tutoring or small group instruction. There is an assessment to determine where to begin, although, for third-grade students, it is at the beginning. 

 4th Grade Math Worksheets

Upon starting fourth grade, students should have mastered all of the multiplication math facts. If they have not mastered those facts, teachers should have students start with the multiplication worksheets until they are ready to move forward into division. While division facts derive from multiplication, it is valuable for students to learn the division facts explicitly.  

Division 0-9 Learning Track

Division 0-9 Worksheet

Long division comes much easier for students who have learned division facts. Fourth graders should be using the Division 0 through 9s worksheet to learn division facts. By the end of fourth grade, students should have learned all four basic operations of math facts.  

Multiply-Divide Fact Families from 21 Learning Track

Multiply-Divide Fact Families from 21 Worksheet

If students have been using the Multiplication-Division Fact Families Program in third grade, it is best to continue using that sequence. Fourth graders should be ready for Multiply-Divide Subtract Fact Families from 21. The last several levels of this program review all the fact families, allowing students to master all multiplication and division facts by the time they reach Level Z. 

Division-Learning Computation Learning Track

Division-Learning Computation WorksheetOnce students master division math facts, they need to learn how to do multi-digit division problems such as dividing 5 into 395.  Teachers can start their students on the Division-Learning Computation learning track.   This learning track extends computational skills in multiplication up to the 4th grade. It is teacher-directed and includes suggested scripts for tutoring or small group instruction. There is an assessment to determine where to begin. 

Division 10s, 11s, 12s Learning Track

Division 10s, 11s, 12s Worksheet

There is a supplemental program for students who get through Level Z in basic division: Division 10s, 11s, 12s.  It builds upon and reviews facts from Division 0 to 9s while keeping learning fun for students who learn faster.

 Math Worksheets for 5th grade and up

Students who have been learning math facts since kindergarten have built a great foundation by the time they reach fifth grade. Unfortunately, this is not the case for many students, which makes it difficult for teachers to create lessons suitable for everyone’s level.

Rocket Math provides an easy solution for these teachers. Utilize the worksheet program for ten minutes daily to teach the four basic operations. While these students are catching up, the remaining students can also do Rocket Math!

We offer five learning tracks that teach more advanced pre-algebra math skills that follow the same structure and routine. Each of these five learning tracks includes video lessons that teach students how to use the program and how to do the skill. If students have not done the learning track Identifying Fractions [presented above in grade 3 Worksheet options], we recommend students do that first, before beginning the Pre-Algebra Learning Tracks.  

Pre-Algebra Learning Tracks for Advanced students

advanced math worksheet

1) Equivalent Fractions

2) Factors

3) Learning to Add Integers (positive and negative numbers)

4) Learning to Subtract Integers (positive and negative numbers)

math worksheet for fast learners

5) Mixed Integers (adding and subtracting positive and negative numbers)

Sign Up for Rocket Math’s Worksheet Program

Rocket Math’s goal is to make learning fun for everyone–students and teachers. By following the Worksheet Program, even students who have struggled in the past can begin gaining confidence in their math skills.

Because the Rocket Math Worksheet program follows a sequence and routine, it is easy for students to continue working together even when studying different programs or levels.

With the right underlying skills, students can enjoy learning math, and teachers can relax knowing that a strong foundation is forming. Our FAQs page for Teacher Instructions and How to Implement the Worksheet Program can help answer any questions you might have.

Ready to get started? Subscribe to Rocket Math’s Worksheet program today. It’s available for individual students and entire school districts.

Testing season activities: 5 Reasons to Use Rocket Math During Testing Gaps

Testing season is stressful.  The task of scheduling testing for each student in the school is difficult.  It causes significant stress due to time logistics, student absences, and disrupted schedules. Teachers know how difficult it can be to deal with odd and awkward time gaps.   What testing season activities can fill those holes?

Teachers spend a lot of time juggling schedule and testing material.  Students are anxious about the tests as well.  Often the mood in the classroom can feel tense.

We at Rocket Math are concerned about the success of students. We know how precious teaching time is. We believe that doing Rocket Math practice sessions can significantly aid during the busy spring test season.  Here are five reasons why doing Rocket Math is a great activity during testing season.

1. Rocket Math is a time efficient testing season activity.

Your students are familiar with the Rocket Math routine.  They know just what to do. The process of doing Rocket Math from start to finish should take no longer than ten to fifteen minutes. When you have one of those short intervals created by the testing schedule, you can make good use of this short amount of time. Rocket Math fits in a short amount of time and is still productive.

2. Rocket Math can be used during multiple testing season gaps.

As test schedules tend to have multiple gaps, Rocket Math works great as an activity that can be used multiple times throughout the day without causing extra work for teachers. Students actually appreciate the opportunity to have another chance to practice Rocket Math in the same day.

Students can easily use Rocket Math a second or third time during their school day without any negative impact. In fact, multiple sessions of Rocket Math during a single day can help students progress faster.

3. Rocket Math is a testing season activity that doesn’t require re-teaching lessons.

As students are taking make-up tests, the rest of their classmates need something to do in the classroom. Because students work in pairs during Rocket Math allows students to work through math lessons on their own.  Because it is just practice, there is no need to re-teach material, students taking their make up tests filter back into the classroom.

As long as there is at least a 15-minute gap between testing sessions, students can easily complete a Rocket Math session. The best part is, because students are familiar with the Rocket Math process, teachers don’t need to explain a new activity to each student who filters in after testing.

4. Rocket Math is a highly engaging and productive testing season activity.

Many teachers struggle to fill time in the gaps between test sessions. Reading time or make-up work is often the go-to solution.   Teachers know that these activities don’t seem productive or engaging.  Plus, students know that these time-filling activities “don’t count.”  Rocket Math however, does count!

In contrast, Rocket Math offers students a fun and creative way to effectively learn critical skills that are necessary for future success.

5. Rocket Math is a testing season activity that students truly enjoy.

Accountability tests can cause stress due to unfamiliarity, whereas Rocket Math offers students comfort in an activity that they know and enjoy.  As Rocket Math shows progress along the way, each student gains a sense of pride in their accomplishment and is more likely to feel motivated to continue learning.

When there are gaps between test sessions, Rocket Math can provide students a boost of confidence as they are instantly gratified by their success.

During this busy spring test time, I highly recommend teachers are prepared with their Rocket Math folders to help productively fill the time gaps left in the daily schedule. Rocket Math is a quick and easy testing season activity.  It can be used during multiple gaps as an engaging learning tool.  Doing Rocket Math helps students feel accomplished in an otherwise stressful testing period.

How to Grade 1-Minute Math Fluency Practice Tests

Katy L from Wilson Elementary asks: How can I keep up with everyday Rocket Math grading? Do you teach students to grade their own 1-minute math fluency practice tests?

Dr. Don answers:

Only grade 1-minute math fluency practice tests if students pass

An integral part of the Rocket Math Worksheet Program is the 1-minute math fluency practice test. One-minute fluency practice tests are administered every day, to the whole class, and only after students practice in pairs for two to three minutes each. Check out the FAQs page to learn more about conducting 1-minute math fluency practice tests in class.

Teachers do NOT need to grade, score, or check daily Rocket Math 1-minute math fluency practice tests unless the student has met their goal. Students do NOT need to grade their own daily Rocket Math fact fluency tests either.

Why grading each math test is not important

The important part of math fluency practice is the oral practice with the partner before the test–what’s going on in this picture. Because the students are orally practicing every day and getting corrections from their partners, there should be VERY FEW errors on the 1-minute math fluency written tests.  

Correcting written tests doesn’t help students learn anyway. Corrections are only helpful if they are immediate, the student has to acknowledge the correct answer, and remember it for a few seconds–all of which is part of the oral correction procedure. “Correcting” what’s on the paper takes a lot of time and does not help students learn more, so it shouldn’t be done. But you have to check them before declaring that the student has passed a level.

How do you know if a student passes?

Students should have a packet of 6 sheets math fact fluency sheets at their level. Each Rocket Math student has an individual goal. For example, if a student has a goal of 32 (based on their Writing Speed Test) and they only do 31, they know they did not pass. If the student does 32 or more, they pass!

What to do when a student beats their goal (passes)

If a student meets or beats their goal, then have them stand up, take a bow, and then turn their folder into a place where you check to see that all problems were answered correctly. When YOU check (after school?), make sure all of the completed problems were correct and the student met their goal. If so, then you put the unused sheets in that packet back into the filing crate and re-fill the student’s folder with a packet of 6 worksheets at the next level and hand the folder back the next day.

When students receive the new packet of worksheets, they know to color in another letter on the Rocket Chart (and maybe put a star on the Wall Chart).

What to do if a student doesn’t pass?

Students who don’t meet their goals, don’t pass. These students should put the non-passing sheet into their backpacks and take the sheet home for more practice.

The next day they will use the next sheet in their packet of 6. If you want to give them points, do that the next day after they bring back their worksheet where they did a session at home (signature of helper should be there) and all items on the test are completed. If that’s done, they get full points.

Sometimes you’ll catch errors on sheets that students turn in as “passes.” If you see an error, the student doesn’t pass. As a result, the student keeps the old packet and has to continue with that same level worksheet.

For more information about conducting 1-minute math fluency practice tests in class and how to implement the Rocket Math worksheet program, visit the FAQs page.

Intervention Tip: Have students practice test

Sometimes students need to review test problems also.

You know that there is a difference between the test problems and the practice problems, right?  The problems practiced around the outside are the recently introduced facts.  The problems inside the test box are an even mix of all the problems taught so far.  Sometimes students have forgotten some of the older facts.  For example, if there has been a break for a week or more, or if the student has been stuck for a couple of weeks, the student may have forgotten some of the facts from earlier and may need a review of the test problems.

How you could diagnose for this problem.  Have the student practice orally on the test problems inside the box with you.  If the student hesitates on several of the problems that aren’t on the outside practice, then the student needs to review the test items.

Solution. If you have this problem with quite a few students (for example after summer break or after Christmas break) then have the whole class do this solution.  For the next week, after practicing around the outside, instead of taking the 1 minute test in writing, have students practice the test problems orally with each other.  Use the same procedures as during the practice—two or three minutes with answer keys for the test, saying the problem and the answer aloud, correction procedures for hesitations, correct by saying the problem and answer three times, then going back—then switch roles.   Do this for a week and then give the one-minute test.   Just about everyone should pass at that point.

Solution.  If you have this problem with a handful of students, find a time during the day for them to practice the test problems orally in pairs.  If the practice occurs before doing Rocket Math so much the better, but it will work if done after as well.  They should keep doing this until they pass a couple of levels within six days.

If neither the first or the second solutions seem to work, write to me again and I’ll give you some more ideas.

Why give the Two-Minute timings in Rocket Math?

To prove whether students are making progress in learning math facts.

First of all, understand that the two-minute timings are NOT a teaching tool.  They are an assessment tool only.  Giving a two-minute timing of all the facts in an operation every week or two allows you to graph student performance.  You graph student performance to see if it is improving.  If the graph is going up, as in the picture above, then the student is learning.   If the graph is flat, then the student is not really learning.

The individual graphs should be colored in by students allowing them to savor the evidence of their learning.  The graphs should be shared with parents at conference time to prove that students are learning.  

Progress monitoring with two-minute tests are a curriculum-free method of evaluating a curriculum.  If you use the same tests you can compare two methods of learning facts to see which one causes faster growth.  This makes for a valid research study.

This kind of progress monitoring over time is also used in IEPs.  You can draw an aimline from the starting performance on the two-minute timing to the level you expect the student to achieve by the end of the year.  (Note the writing speed test gave you goals for the two-minute timing which you could use for your end-of-year goal.) The aimline on the graph, when it crosses the ending date of each quarter, will provide quarterly objectives that will enable quarterly evaluation of progress–required for an IEP.

These two minute timings are a scientifically valid method of proving whether students are learning math facts, in the same way that tests of oral reading fluency prove whether students are learning to read.  They can be used to prove to a principal or a curriculum director, for example, that Rocket Math is working and is worth the time, paper and money it requires.

 

Why should you renew your Rocket Math Worksheet subscription?

Reason #1 to renew: So we can be here for you.

Your subscription enables Dr. Don and our team to be available to help you with Rocket Math.  We can be here to answer your questions, help you with your implementation, provide customer service at assistance@rocketmath.com and to continue to expand our offerings.
Every day we correspond with and often get to talk with customers who have questions and need help. We have added programs such as Add to 20, Subtract from 20, Fact Families, Skip Counting and others to the Worksheet Subscription. (Check out the list on this link.) We are quite excited about the Learning Computation programs for addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.  Additionally, we have added tools such as the classroom wide aimlines in Excel to keep track of the progress of your whole class.  Most exciting of all, I have developed the Online Tutor that students will be able to use at home and at school with one log-in. Your subscriptions make all of that possible.  Thank you.

Reason #2 to renew: It will extend your permission to copy. 

The second reason to renew is that your subscription gives you “permission to copy” the materials only for a limited time.  After the subscription expires, permission to copy the materials also expires (it is no longer granted).  As you can see, the footers on our materials now show your name and the expiration date.  Don’t embarrass yourself by continuing to print these materials after your subscription has expired.  In order to continue printing and copying the Rocket Math worksheets, I ask that you please renew your subscription.

Reason #3 to renew: Access the virtual filing cabinet.

The third reason to renew is so that you continue to have access to the Rocket Math filing cabinet on the web.  New and updated materials are constantly being added to the filing cabinet. The materials now number in the thousands of pages!
 You can much more easily print from the website filing cabinet, than you can from a paper master copy.  You can print from home and even print from your phone.
Worksheets are updated in the filing cabinet.  When anyone finds an error in one of the thousands of worksheets, I can change it the same day in this virtual filing cabinet.  When anyone asks for a new form, I can share it with everyone instantly.

Keeping track of progress in Rocket Math

Which students are progressing as fast as they should be in Rocket Math?

And how fast should they be progressing, anyway?

Over the years of helping teachers and schools implement Rocket Math I have learned that a complete laissez-faire attitude about student progress can mean that some students get stuck for weeks on the same sheet.  Needless to say, students who get stuck, come to hate Rocket Math.  When this happens, those students don’t get through all the operations they should learn.  So we need to intervene, and give them more help.  It turns out that some students need more practice, sometimes two or three times more practice, to learn the facts than their peers.  To get such students through one operation a year means they have to have extra practice sessions scheduled in each day.  Here’s a link to a blog about how to provide extra help.

But which students need extra practice sessions?   Under Resources/Educator Resources I’ve created two versions of a tool that can help.

Whole Class Excel Rocket Math (2 operations in a year) Aimline.  This is pictured to the right.  It is needed for 2nd grade and 4th grade and up when students need to finish one operation and do a second one in a year.  The expectations needed to pass two operations in one year are basically that students should pass two sets each week.  If they have studied some the year before, they will be able to pass sets in the first operation at a quick pace.  For example if they have done much of Rocket Math Addition in first grade, in second grade they should be able to pass those addition sets again in a day or two.  That will put them ahead of the expectations and they should have a plus by their name most of the year.  Conversely, if they are not able to pass sets quickly, (see the students highlighted in yellow) they will get a minus by their name and should start getting extra sessions scheduled daily.

How does the Excel Aimline work?

Please note: The pictured EXAMPLE Rocket Math Excel Aimline is available from the link or in the Resources/Educator Resources page for you to download. 

Take the blank template and save it for next year.  Then fill out one for this year.  Look at a calendar and on row 4 enter the month and on row 5 enter the starting day of each week in the school year.  so each column numbered 1 through 36 will correspond to a week in your school year.  In row 7 you see the green expected set to be passed by the end of that week.  At the end of week 1 we expect that students will have at least passed Set A.   By the end of week 2 they should have passed Set C to be on pace to finish two operations in a year.

Entering student names.  Starting in row 10 you enter the student names in column B.  This class only has ten students, but I’m guessing yours probably has more!   Cool thing about excel is you only have to enter those names once.  And if you’re really good you can freeze that column so you can easily see it later in the year.

Entering weekly information.  Each week grab all the student folders and for each student enter the highest set they have passed.  You can see that from the Rocket Chart on the outside of the folder, so you don’t even have to open the folders.  If the letter they have passed is equal or higher than the green set expected at the top of the column for that week, then put a plus by the letter they have passed.

Look at Alvin Ailey at the top of my class list.  Week 1 he had passed both Set A and B, so I wrote “B” in his square.  I put a plus because it is exceeds the expected level for the first week.  By the second week he had also passed Sets C and D.  Only up to “C” is expected,  so I wrote “D” and also gave him a plus.  Alvin is rocking it!

Look at Cindy Crawford a little further down the class list.  Week 1 she had passed Set A, so I wrote an “A” in her she got a plus because she met the expectation.  But by week 2 she had only passed Set B, when C is expected to be passed, so I wrote “B” in her square, with a minus indicating she is below expectation.  Now I highlighted her square yellow, but that’s kind of advanced so you don’t really have to do that.  Only Excel experts can do that, although it really makes it easy to pick out who needs help.  We can see that Cindy continues to make slow progress and continues to get minuses.  She needs to have extra practice sessions scheduled to finish two operations this year.  That pace is fine for one operation per year, but not two.

Look down at Gary Grummond.  He didn’t pass even Set A by the end of the first week so I wrote “np” in the first square.  He continues to make progress the next few weeks, but not fast enough to complete two operations in a year.

Row 8 Fraction of students meeting expectation.    After entering all the students for the week you can see how you are doing overall in your class.  Make a fraction with the numerator being the number of students who are meeting the expectation over the denominator of the number of students in the class.  You want a high fraction nearer to 1.

If that fraction falls below 70%, meaning more than 30% of your class is not on track, then you should institute a class-wide intervention.  Either add an extra practice session each day, or see if there is room to improve the quality of practice.  See these blogs and posts about how to monitor for the quality of practice.

Whole Class Excel Rocket Math (1 operatipon per year) Aimline.   In grades 1 and 3 where students are expected only to complete one operation in a year, you can use this Excel Aimline.  The expectations needed to pass one operations in a year are basically that students should pass one set each week.   Everything else about how you use the excel form is the same.  Note that if you want students to do two operations in the year (for example both subtraction and multiplication in 3rd grade) then you would use the two operation aimline.