Things-to-look-for (any time of day) for Rocket Math implementation

Evaluating a Rocket Math implementation when you aren’t observing Rocket Math in action.

Most of the time when you go into classrooms, something other than Rocket Math® will be going on. These are the things you can check on even when there are no students in the room. There are eight indicators you can see by looking at student folders.  There are four indicators while looking at the Rocket Math filing crate.  There are additional indicators to look for if there is a Wall Chart being used or if there are Race for the Stars games in the room.  Here’s a link to the checklist.

Look at several Student Folders

(1). Students all have folders that appear to be used daily. The folders are the heart of the organizational system. Students should keep their materials in the folders and keep track of their progress on the folders. Whether the students keep folders in their desks, cubbies, or are collected each day, there should be some signs of wear and tear.

(2). Rocket Charts on student folders show dates of each attempt to pass a level. Each day when students take a 1-minute timing test to try to pass a set of facts, they should write the date of the “try” on the Rocket Chart on the front of their folder. Without this record you cannot tell if a student is stuck because he or she has missed two weeks of school, or if students are only doing Rocket Math® twice a week (not recommended!), or if a student has exceeded six tries without intervention.

(3). Rocket Charts on student folders are colored in when passed. Coloring in the row on the Rocket Chart for the fact set that was just passed is the primary reinforcer of all that hard work. It is essential that students are given the time (and the colored pens, pencils, or crayons) to celebrate their success. Don’t get fooled by the older students or the students who are “too cool” to color in the chart. Even if they only want to color in the row with their regular pencil, students need to be told that they have accomplished something important, and giving them the time to color in their chart is a critical component of the program. This is way more important than you might think. You can also praise students who have accomplished a lot or who have just passed a level. Hearing from an administrator or coach about progress in math facts sends a huge message regarding the importance of the task.

(4). Student folders include packets of answer keys on colored paper. In order to practice correctly, each student’s partner needs to have an answer key in front of them when practicing. Each student needs their own answer key packet (so they can practice with someone who doesn’t have that answer key or with a volunteer who has no answer key). All the answer sheets for their operation should be copied and stapled into a booklet so students don’t have to go hunting for answer keys. Having the answer keys copied onto a distinctive color is important for teachers to be able to monitor paired practice. When students are practicing, each pair should have one student with answers (in that distinctive color) and the partner without the answers (on white paper). Any variation of this means the students are not practicing correctly—and that should be easy for the teacher to spot. Additionally, if a teacher is ready to begin testing and sees a hot pink paper on a desk, the teacher knows someone has answers in front of him or her.

(5) Student folders have the next sheet ready before starting practice time. Some system needs to be put in place so that the limited amount of time available for students to practice is NOT taken up with all students trooping up to the crate to get the next practice sheet each day. The recommended system in the Teacher Directions is to refill student folders when they pass a level, after school, with a packet of six sheets. That way the only time teachers have to handle folders is when students pass and they check the “pass” for errors and refill with a new packet. Many other ways of refilling student folders are possible, but no matter the process, students should have a blank practice sheet or set of practice sheets in their folder—which you would see when you check folders.

(6). Students have clear goals indicated on goal sheet. After students complete the Writing Speed Test, they are to have goals set for their daily 1-minute timing. The goal sheet should be stapled to the inside left of the student folder, the goal line circled, and the 1-minute goal written at the bottom of the sheet. The goal may be crossed out and a higher goal written in if the student has consistently demonstrated the ability to write faster than the original goal. Sometimes, teachers also write the goal on the front on the Rocket Chart, but the student’s goal should be clearly indicated. If not, it may be arbitrary or inappropriate (the same for all students, for example).

(7). Individual graphs are filled in because 2-minute timings are happening. Every week or two, students should be taking the 2-minute timings. These timings are a progress monitoring measure. They could be used for RTI or for IEP goals, or for any other time when a curriculum-based measurement is useful. At least they can demonstrate to us (and to the students) whether they are making progress in learning math facts in a given operation. As students learn more and more facts in the operation to a level of fluency and automaticity, they will be able to write answers to more facts in the operation on the 2-minute timing. Each time they take a 2-minute test, they should count the number correct and graph that on the graph stapled on the inside right of their folder. Each test is graphed in the correct column for whichever week of the month the test was taken.

(8). Individual graphs show upward trends as students are learning facts. Once students are taking the 2-minute timings regularly, it should be easy to see a trend. It should be going up, even if somewhat unevenly. For example, scores might go down after the long December break, but they should recover after a couple of weeks. If these graphs do NOT show an upward trend, something is wrong. Practice may not be being done for long enough (less than 2 minutes a day), or frequently enough (only three times a week), or students may not be practicing correctly (not fixing hesitations and errors). If only one or two students have flat graphs, those students will need something more. The individual graphs will be your indication that there is something amiss. You will just have to figure out what could be wrong. This should lead you to do some observations during Rocket Math® practice in that classroom.

Look at the Rocket Math file crate

(1). There is a crate or set of files for each operation practiced in the room. Each operation fills a crate and requires a different set of files. In any classroom where not all students are working on the same operation, there will need to be more than one set of files. Sometimes, teachers who have only one or two students in an operation may use the files of a neighbor teacher, but that should be only a temporary fix. The rule is that there must be a crate for every operation being practiced in that class.

(2). Rocket Math® crate is filled and organized from A–Z, complete with tabs. As of the 2013 version of Rocket Math®, every operation goes up to the letter Z. So each crate should have hanging folders with tabs showing the letters A though Z. Tabs are important to save time finding sheets and filling folders. If the files are a mess, out of order, no labels, or some letters are empty, valuable practice time will be used up trying to find the right sheets. If everything is labeled, and there are sheets in each file, then efficiency is a possibility. The Rocket Math store has tabs for sale if you need them.

(3). Rocket Math® crate has 2-minute timings numbered 1–5. In order to make sure that teachers do the 2-minute timing and monitor progress readily, they need to have class sets of the 2-minute timings (1 through 5) available in the crate. This is easy for you to check. If they are not there, it is likely that the 2-minute timings won’t be done as regularly as they should be. It is important for those timings to be done so you can see if all the students are making good progress.

(4). Teacher has a hard copy of the directions available for reference. The best place to keep the directions is right in the crate, so they are handy at any time. We have found that most of the time, when teachers are not doing things as they should in their Rocket Math® implementations, they don’t have a copy of the directions. When teachers don’t have the directions handy, they will ask a colleague how to do things. Unfortunately, this is like a game of telephone and typically doesn’t end well. Being sure that every teacher has the directions available for easy reference goes a long way toward proper implementation. It also allows you to pick up the directions when you are in the room and point something out to the teacher or to reference an appropriate page number in the directions in your notes to the teacher.

You can print the Teacher Directions from the virtual filing cabinet, in the Forms and Information drawer, under Rocket Math Teacher Directions.  You can buy printed copies from RocketMath.com/shop.  There are additional things to look for on the form but they are optional and go with supplemental parts of the curriculum.

Seven steps to an exemplary Rocket Math Worksheet implementation

You know already what should be happening.

This article assumes you have read the Rocket Math Teacher Directions yourself, so you know how things should run.  You can also read the Administrator and Coach Handbook for more ideas on how things should be running.  These helpful manuals can be purchased at their link, or available for free in the virtual Rocket Math Worksheet filing cabinet–in the Forms and Information Drawer. You’ll also need to have done observations using our observation form and checklist.    You should already know what things need to change–this is about how to make that happen.

How to make change happen.

These are recommendations as to how to get an implementation of Rocket Math® running smoothly, correctly, and effectively—without unduly annoying your teachers. How can you get every teacher in your building to abide by all the critical features of Rocket Math®? If teachers feel criticized, they will begin to resent the program and you. On the other hand, teachers (especially good teachers) are highly self-critical and, if they understand what should be happening, will enthusiastically self-correct a lot of details without you having to point out their errors. So here are seven steps to getting more of the enthusiasm and less of the resentment.

1. Choose one procedure to change at a time.

There may be several things not being implemented the way you would like (or as is outlined in the Teacher Directions). The temptation is to assign everyone to read the Teacher Directions and then follow them. Ask them to read the directions, yes, but they will need help to actually improve. To begin, just pick one concrete procedure that you want everyone to be sure to do the right way. Pick the most important one—as best as you can. Start with the top four of the observation form (shown here).

2. Talk about it first.

Always talk about needed details or techniques in a staff meeting before “noticing” the problem in any particular teacher’s room. If you see a problem in one or more classrooms, don’t ask those teachers to change as your first response. Instead, talk about what should be happening, in a staff meeting, without saying anything about those who weren’t doing it right. Describe clearly what you want teachers to do. Consider writing it down and passing it out as you talk about it. You may even need to have teachers practice it in a role-play scenario in small groups. This can be done for just a few minutes.

3. Give the rationale.

Whenever you talk about a feature or a technique you want teachers to do, explain WHY it is important. Explain it in terms of student learning. (The rationale is in the Administrator & Coach manual and in the Teacher Directions also.) Teachers want their students to succeed, so if you explain why it is important for the kids, the teachers will see the reason for doing it the right way. Have some discussion with the staff to make sure everyone knows both what you want and why it is important to learning.

Note: If you have a staff that doesn’t readily discuss, give them the questions you would ask, break them into groups to come up with an answer for each question, and have the groups report out.

4. Give a “heads up” that you’ll be observing.

At the end of talking in the staff meeting about the change you want to see, let everyone know that you will be visiting classrooms during Rocket Math® to see how things are going. If the change that you are looking for requires preparation, give a week’s notice. If it is just a way of doing things that can be changed immediately, start observing in the next day or two.

5. Follow through with praise first.

After observations where you see people doing what you wanted to see, be sure to tell them personally how impressed you are with their ability to implement a new idea so quickly or so well or with such enthusiasm. At the next staff meeting, after the end of the first observations, praise the people who are doing things well. If more than ¾ of your staff is doing it correctly, you can move on to observing for something new. If less than ¾ of your staff is doing the one specific thing correctly, then revisit the change and let your staff know that you will be visiting again within the next few days. Be sure to follow through with your visits.

6. Follow through with individual help.

Once you are down to a small number of staff members who are NOT implementing the change you want to see, it is time to offer more help to each of them. Once you see for the second or third time that a teacher is not implementing what is expected, tell them what you saw instead, and ask what you can do to help.

Be genuine. More often than not, teachers do not implement correctly because they don’t exactly know how, but were afraid to ask. Ferreting out what the stumbling block is, finding out what’s getting in the way of a good implementation, is the best use of your time. Sometimes, just role-playing what to say or do is needed. Sometimes resources are missing or haven’t been requested. Sometimes a method of organizing better is the key. Often, another teacher will have the key as to how to implement something—so don’t hesitate to use peers to support one another.

You should know that Rocket Math® done correctly will work. If you can get a teacher to do this well, they will be reinforced by the results. Students will end up being more successful, and that is very rewarding to any teacher who really cares. Staying with a teacher until the details are right will end up being worth the time—for you, for the teacher, and, most importantly, for the students.

7. Celebrate 100% implementation.

Keep track of the new things you’ve asked to be changed. Keep track of how many teachers are implementing. Keep praising those who are coming on board. Finally, celebrate when everyone “gets it.” Find a memorable way to celebrate the victory. Some people even create a “bragging list” of all the new procedures that were implemented to mastery by all the teachers in the school.

Teaching Math Fact Fluency | 6 Signs Your Class Is Failing

High-stakes state tests do not directly test fluency on math facts, although they should.  Your students can become bogged down in deriving basic facts during state testing.  When that happens they will be unable to demonstrate the higher-level math skills they have been learning.  You may have a math fact fluency problem, depressing your math achievement scores, but not even know it.  Here are six things to look for–to evaluate for yourself.

1) Finger counting during math testing shows a fact fluency problem

Students who are counting on their fingers (see above) during math testing are a definitive sign of a math fact fluency problem.  Finger counting is a bad sign in grades 3 and above, where they should have mastered math facts.  Students who don’t know the facts, need to use crutches to derive the answers to math facts.  Crutches make doing simple calculations take a long time to complete anything.  Your students may perform poorly on state tests just because they won’t complete the test for lack of time.

2) Students who lack math fact fluency need times tables available

When students in grades 3 or 4 and up have to do multiplication, they either have to know their facts or have a crutch.  If you see times tables on student desks that shows that the students need these crutches, and therefore do not know the basic multiplication facts.  Student folders sometimes come with these on the inside.  Some teachers put up a large poster of the multiplication facts–even though students find it nearly impossible to use from their seats.  Others provide laminated cards to the students which appear suddenly when students are set to do their “math work.”  When you see those times tables being used by more than a couple of students during math, you can tell you have a fluency problem.

3) Students who lack math fact fluency don’t participate in math lessons

Good teachers work to engage the class.  One good way, while working a problem for the class, is to ask the class for the answers to math facts.  Watching a lesson you may be able to spot a class that lacks fact fluency.  For example, imagine you watch the teacher demonstrating this problem.

Class, we begin this problem by multiplying nine times four.  What’s nine times four, everybody?”  [Only a couple of students answer.]  Yes, 36.  Now we write down the six and carry the 3 tens up to the tens place.  Next, we multiply nine times six.  What’s nine times six, everybody?”  [After a long silence, one student answers.] Yes, 54.  And we add the three to the 54, what do we get?  [Several students call out the answer.] Yes, 57.  That’s what we write down.

That interchange tells you there’s a math facts problem in this class.  When the problem is very easy, like 54+3 you get a good response.  When the fact is a “hard” one, you get silence and then one student answering.  Medium facts get minimal response.  This is a class that does not know their math facts.

4) Over-reliance on calculators signals a lack of math fact fluency

There are two kinds of over-reliance on calculators you may see in classrooms.  In the first kind, you see students who do not know facts using calculators to tell them the answer to single-digit facts they should have memorized.  Using calculators for single-digit facts is terribly slow and inefficient–and not what they are designed to do.  You can see this over-reliance on calculators when observing in a classroom.

The second kind of problem is harder to spot. Using calculators without knowing math facts instantly can be dangerous.  It is easy to make a data entry error, AKA a typo.  When a user does that, they’re assumed to know math facts well enough to know when the answer is wrong, as in the example pictured here.  A student who doesn’t know that 5 times 8 is 40 and therefore knows that 521 times 8 has to be more than 4,000 will accept the answer displayed on the calculator.  Accepting incorrect answers from the calculator is a sign that students do not have an adequate mastery of facts.

5) Avoidance behaviors in math signal a lack of math fact fluency

Having to count out facts or look each fact up in a table is very slow and onerous.  Students come to hate slogging through math computation that is so hard for them.  Conversely, students who know facts instantly, hop right into assignments to get them done.  Students like going fast doing math problems, just like they run for the joy of it on the playground.  How do you know there is a fluency problem in the classroom?  Students who lack fluency start avoiding getting started on computation work by getting water or sharpening pencils or just taking a break first.

6) Really slow computation during math lessons is due to a lack of math fact fluency

Good math teachers assign, within their lessons, a few math computation problems to do independently and then be checked as a group.  If students know math facts they can do a few problems in a minute or two.  Students who do not know math facts may take ten minutes or more to do the same mini-assignment.  Students who are done and waiting with nothing to do, begin talking and distracting the others.  When there’s that big of a discrepancy between the first and the last student to do a few problems, there is a fact fluency problem in the class.

To be sure–give school-wide 1-minute tests of math fact fluency

If you see hints that your school may have a math fact fluency problem, it isn’t hard to know for sure.  It only takes a couple of minutes.  You can have everyone in the school take written 1-minute tests of math facts pretty easily.  However, you’ll also need to evaluate how fast students can write.  Students can’t answer math fact problems any faster than they write.  You cannot expect a student who can write only 25 answers in a minute to answer 40 problems in a minute. Conversely, a student who can write 40 answers in a minute is not fluent with math facts if he answers only 30 problems in a minute.

You need a test of writing speed as well as a chart to evaluate their performance and the tests for the four main operations of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.  Print these out for free at this link.  But basically, a student who cannot answer math facts at 75% of the rate at which they can write, needs intervention.  

Learn more about teaching math fact fluency

Teaching math fact fluency is necessary, of course, for fluent computation. Math fact fluency is also required for understanding and manipulating fractions. Find out more ways of successfully teaching math fact fluency to your students and why this skill is essential.

If you would like the free use of use the Rocket Math Online Game to assess for fluency, please contact Dr. Don at don@rocketmath.com.

 

 

The Wall Chart motivates and prevents unhealthy competition.

The Rocket Chart gives students a visible sign of their success.

Students working in Rocket Math begin to see themselves as clearly successful.  Being able to color in the levels of their Rocket Chart as they pass them, makes their progress visible.  As they color in the Rocket Chart they become very invested in their progress through the levels. They are naturally proud of their accomplishments. Whenever Dr. Don visits a classroom, students want to tell him what level they are “on” if they get a chance.

Competition may develop to unhealthy levels

However, not all students progress really quickly or easily, while others surge ahead. Sometimes, unhealthy competition may develop among students sometimes.  Some students begin to feel really bad about their slower progress. Worse yet, some students in the lead may begin to act arrogantly or disrespectfully.  The Rocket Math Wall Chart is designed to curb that competition and to build a sense of esprit de corps.

The Wall Chart puts all the students on the same team.

star_sticker

Over 700 star stickers come with the Wall Chart.  Each time a student passes a level the teacher awards them with a star sticker, which they take up to the Wall Chart and put into one of the squares in the chart.  Students fill the chart from the bottom up.  The teacher sets a goal in a few weeks, which date is marked on the goal arrow, and the goal arrow is placed a couple of rows up from where the students are now.  (You can just see that in the picture above.)

 

Students develop pride in their whole class.

If the students fill in the squares up to the arrow–before the date specified on the arrow–they earn a group reward such as extra recess time, or music during math, or a congratulatory note home, or a popcorn party, etc.  Wall chart half filledIn this way, each time a student passes a level they are putting up a score for the whole team.  It is good for everyone.  The teacher is able to praise the class for their hard work and accomplishments, and the whole class is able to feel good about their collective effort.

The Wall Chart shows visitors (like principals) how well the class is doing.

Passers-by as well as interested administrators can praise the class as a whole for their successes with Rocket Math.  A savvy administrator may reward the class with a “free space” to help themselves keep track of progress. See this blog.  In many schools, classes post their completed Rocket Chart on their door with all 725 stickers in place!   The Rocket Math Wall Chart becomes a focus of pride and recognition for the whole class.  The Rocket Math Wall Chart (#2005) includes directions, plenty of star stickers, four goal arrows, and the chart itself.   They are cheaper by the dozen if you need more.

What’s the best order or sequence to do Learning Tracks?

Learn the Basics (add, subtract, multiply, divide) first.

Basic, optional, and alternative—there are a lot of different Rocket Math programs to help students learn math facts. A common question teachers ask is in what sequence should they teach the various Rocket Math programs? The basic programs of Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication, and Division (0-9s) have priority and must be mastered by all students. Addition in the first grade. Addition and Subtraction in the second grade. Multiplication (as well as Addition and Subtraction) by the third grade. Then, all four, including Division by fourth grade. If a student is on track, those basics have first priority.

Optional programs if the basics are already on track

The rest of the programs are optional and should be offered to students once the basics have been mastered and only then. The only exception would be in a school where Kindergarteners did not get a chance to learn how to quickly and easily write numerals, through using the Rocket Writing for Numerals program. In that case, you might take the first two months of the first grade year to run students through Rocket Writing for Numerals before beginning Addition (0-9s).

Here’s a link to a printable version of the graphic above.

Kindergarten Students have things to learn before beginning Addition Facts

A teacher sits with four kindergartners and is holding up her hand to count how many pencils they have on the desk.There are three Learning Tracks in the Universal Level of the Worksheet Program that can help kindergarteners get ready for memorizing Addition Facts in the first grade. These programs are not like the main part of Rocket Math, because they are not set up for peer practice.  Instead, the teacher leads instruction, because the little ones don’t really have good skills for working together yet. Using the Beginning Numerals  Learning Track, the teacher can teach students how to use their rote counting skill to count objects and identify the numeral that goes with that number of objects. Next the Rocket Writing for Numerals Learning Track will teach students how to correctly, legibly, and efficiently write the numerals 0-9.  There are 72 pages in this program, so it will take most of the school year for students to work through it.  The third teacher-led learning track is Conceptual Addition.  This learning track teaches students what addition is all about by teaching them to count objects to add them together.  Most importantly, it teaches student how to “count-on” from a number other than one, so they can add up numbers more than their ten fingers.  Click the link to see more information about that.

First-grade Students Should Learn Addition Facts

 

Students practicing their math facts together.If first-grade students are taking all year to get through sets A-Z in Addition, they need some extra help. You should intervene to help students who take more than a week to pass a level. Often they need to practice better or with a better partner, and some may need to practice a second time during the day or at home in the evening. 

Another intervention would be to use Rocket Math Online Game for Addition facts, as students seem to progress much more quickly in the online game.  The Online Game has an adjustable game speed for first-grade students who are having trouble (their difficulty score is over 3) moving their fingers fast enough. First-grade students who finish the 0-9s can move on to the Add to 20 programs for the remainder of the year.

 

Second-grade Students Must Know Both Addition & Subtraction Facts

 

The Rocket Math Online Game Additions fact family example page.

Second-grade students must have completed Addition before starting on Subtraction (0-9s).  They can also test out of Addition through the Placement Probes which are available within the Addition drawer in the Rocket Math Worksheet program virtual filing cabinet. Addition has priority for second graders who cannot test out of Addition in first grade or didn’t complete it in first grade. Only after getting through Set Z of Addition, should they move into Subtraction. Second-grade students who complete Addition and Subtraction 0-9s can move on to Skip Counting or Conceptual Multiplication, which both do a great job of preparing students to learn Multiplication facts. After that students could do the Subtract from 20 learning track.

Fact Families is Another Way to Learn Addition & Subtraction Math Facts

A chart showing the Addition and Subtraction fact family of 2, 3, and 5.There is another way to learn facts, through learning fact families. Instead of learning only Addition facts, students can learn Addition and Subtraction facts at the same time. A fact family consists of four related facts, for example: 3+2 = 5, 2 + 3 = 5, 5 – 3 = 2, 5 – 2 = 3.  

 

It is challenging for students to switch between Addition and Subtraction. But it does drive home the reciprocal nature of the two. There is no evidence that it is better to learn in fact families than it is to separate the operations. That’s why we offer both alternatives.  You must of course, teach the concepts of both addition and subtraction before students can learn in fact families. Students can learn Add-Subtract fact families up to 10 in first grade. Then in second grade they can learn the Addition and Subtraction upper fact families, from 11 to 18 in second grade.

 

Third-grade Students Must Learn concept of multiplication and then learn the facts

Third graders can begin the year working on addition and subtraction facts or reviewing them in fact families.  They should NOT begin memorizing multiplication facts until after they have learned the concept of multiplication in their math curriculum or used the Rocket Math Conceptual Multiplication learning Track.  After they have learned the concept of what multiplication is all about, then have them memorize Multiplication facts 0-9s.  Once multiplication is mastered, if there’s time, students who need to can go back to master addition and subtraction facts.

As in Addition and Subtraction, students can learn Multiplication and Division by fact families, provided you teach both concepts first. In third grade, just the Multiply-Divide Fact Families through 20 need to be mastered. Once all three of these basic operations are under their belt, I’d recommend the Identifying Fractions learning track next followed by the Equivalent Fractions, followed by the Factors learning track.

 

Fourth-grade Students Should Know Both Multiplication and Division Facts

Effective math teaching strategies help students of all levels be successful at math.

Fourth-grade students need to have completed Multiplication before going on to Division.  They can also do Multiply-Divide Fact Families to 20 and then Multiply-Divide fact families from 21 on. If they complete Multiplication and Division, they should go back and do Addition and Subtraction, if those are not mastered, either straight up by operation or in families. Then students can go on to Identifying Fractions learning track next followed by the Equivalent Fractions, followed by the Factors learning track. They can go on to 10s, 11s, 12s Division, but it is less valuable than the pre-algebra skills of factors and fractions.

 

Fifth-grade Students & Up Need to Know All Basic Operations First, Then Branch Out

 

Fifth-grade students should have completed all four basic operations (1s-9s). If students have not completed these basics (and cannot test out of them with the Placement Probes), then the sequence they should follow is Multiplication, followed by Division, then go back and complete Addition followed by Subtraction. Again, as an alternative, students can learn the basic facts in families. The same recommendations hold for students in any grade after fifth.

Once students have mastered the basics (1s-9s add, subtract, multiply, divide) the supplemental pre-algebra programs are recommended. These will help more than learning the 10s, 11s, 12s facts. I would recommend this order: Identifying Fractions, then Factors, followed by Equivalent Fractions, followed by Learning to Add Integers, Learning to Subtract Integers, then Mixed Integers.

 

Rocket Math Worksheet & Online Game

 

Learn more about Rocket Math: in just 2 minutes!  Rocket Math has a fun video for you to learn more about how Rocket Math works. Or check out our website at www.rocketmath.com 

Here is a quick and easy chart to help understand which operation/skill students need to learn in which grade level and which Rocket Math Worksheet and Rocket Math Online Game Level they should be at.

Age Grade Operation/Skill Rocket Math Worksheet Rocket Math Online Game Level
5-6 Kindergarten Writing Numerals Beginning Numerals

Rocket Writing for Numerals

Conceptual Addition

In development
6-7 First Writing Numerals

Addition

Rocket Writing for Numerals

Addition 0 through 9s

Fact Families 1 to 10 Add and Subtract

Add to 20

Addition

Fact Families (+, -) to 10

Add to 20

7-8 Second Addition

Subtraction

Addition 0 through 9s

Fact Families 1 to 10 Add and Subtract

Add to 20

Subtraction 1s through 9s

Add-Subtract Fact Families 11 to 18

Skip Counting

Subtract from 20

Addition

Subtraction

Add-Subtract Fact Families to 10

Add-Subtract Fact Families from 11

Add to 20

Subtract from 20 

8-9 Third Multiplication Multiplication 0 to 9s

Multiply-Divide Fact Families to 20

Multiplication 10s, 11s, 12s

Identify Fractions

Equivalent Fractions

Multiplication

Multiply-Divide Fact Families to 20

Multiplication 10s-11s-12s

Identify Fractions

Equivalent Fractions

9-10 Fourth Multiplication

Division

Multiplication 0 to 9s

Division 0 through 9s

Multiply-Divide Fact Families to 20

Multiply-Divide fact families from 21

Identify Fractions

Equivalent Fractions

Factors

Multiplication 10s, 11s, 12s

Division 10s, 11s, 12s

Multiplication

Division

Multiply-Divide Fact Families to 20

Fact Families from 21

Identify Fractions

Equivalent Fractions

Factors & Primes

Multiplication 10s-11s-12s

Division 10s-11s-12s

10+ Fifth and up All Basic Operations

Fractions

Positive/Negative Numbers

Basic Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication, and Division

Identify Fractions

Equivalent Fractions

Factors

Learning to Add Integers

Learning to Subtract Integers

Mixed Integers

Basic Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication and Division 

Identify Fractions,

Equivalent Fractions,

Factors & Primes,

Fraction & Decimal Equivalents (coming soon)

 

The Ultimate Guide to Math Fact Fluency

Students counting on their fingers is a sure-tell sign that they didn’t acquire math fact fluency. It is sad to see students, ashamed of the only thing they know, counting on their fingers under their desks. Our elementary educational mission is failing students who haven’t developed math fact fluency, which is the foundation to more advanced math skills.

Developing math fact fluency takes structure, organization, and work on the part of both teachers and students. In this article, I will share everything you need to know about developing math fact fluency.

What is Math Fact Fluency

Math facts are single-digit problems such as 7+9 or 6×8 or 14-5, and so on. A common name for all the multiplication math facts is the “multiplication table.” Math fact fluency is the ability to answer all math fact questions instantly from recall without having to think through the problem.

Students should be able to recall math facts instantly without having to count on their fingers or hesitate to think about the answer. This may seem like a high bar, but our brains are great at recalling an unbelievable amount of information daily, and with practice, math facts can be recalled the same way.

Three Reasons Why Math Fact Fluency is Important

tools to build math fact fluency

Math fact fluency is critical because it is a “tool skill.” Meaning it is a tool used in the process of doing other math problems. Developing this tool skill makes learning math easier as concepts get more complicated. This tool skill needs to be automatic in the student’s brain to save precious short-term memory resources.

Math fact fluency can be compared to reading. Students must recognize words automatically to comprehend the author’s meaning. Otherwise, they will spend too much time decoding individual words.

When students are fluent in math facts, they are focused on the math process as a whole rather than stopping to puzzle out the facts. This is important for three reasons: 

1. Students with math fact fluency make fewer errors

Students who lack math fact fluency often make careless errors doing arithmetic computations. If they devote too much energy to deriving math facts, they lose sight of the problem at hand and make mistakes that would otherwise be obvious. Those who can effortlessly recall math facts can concentrate on what they are doing and ultimately make fewer errors.

2. Math fact fluency makes learning math easier

When a new math procedure is introduced, students who have math fact fluency can easily follow the thread of instruction. Without this fluency, students fall behind instruction or demonstrations as they try working out math facts. This distraction takes away from a student absorbing all of the details necessary to successfully learn new math processes.

The first teacher to use Rocket Math to teach subtraction facts to her second graders realized the benefit first hand. She told me that with Rocket Math, she was able to teach regrouping in subtraction in just three days.

Her students mastered the math facts, and the outcome was extraordinary. The teacher shared that since these students had developed fluency in subtraction facts, they were able to learn other procedures easily.

3. Students who have developed math fact fluency enjoy math and always complete their work

Having to count on your fingers or look up facts on a timetable is slow and onerous. When students can’t work quickly, math problems become a dreaded drudgery. Students are motivated by mastering new skills, which will help them work faster and build confidence. Those who can quickly recall math facts will complete their work with ease and enjoy the feeling of accomplishment.

How to Build and Improve Math Fact Fluency

steep climb to math fact fluencyBuilding and improving math fact fluency requires a systematic effort over the elementary years. It is a long climb to achieve mastery and there are no short-cuts.

Consistent daily practice throughout elementary school is important for retention. Slow and steady wins the race when building math fact fluency.

Math fact practice should be structured in such a way that students are learning a small number of facts at a time. These small groups of facts should be practiced daily until students have reached mastery. As time goes on, more groups of math facts are introduced systematically in small amounts for students to master.

Learning the 0 through 9s facts in the four basic operations will take elementary students months to master. Worksheets and game applications are two of the best ways to teach fact fluency over time. Combining structured math fact learning, practice, and evaluation with fun math fact games helps students develop number sense and understand complex numerical relationships.

Teaching Math Fact Fluency with Worksheets

Worksheets are popular tools that teachers reach for when teaching math facts, but sadly, they often fall short for the majority of students. A few select students will begin memorizing the facts on their own accord in order to make the worksheets easier, but most students will continue to slowly work out the facts either on their fingers or in their heads. These students may never develop a strong recall of the facts and become flustered when asked to answer problems on the spot.

Fortunately, there are specific worksheets that are effective in building fact fluency. The key is having worksheets that are structured, systematic, and sequenced. Each worksheet should only have two to four facts to be learned. 

By working on only two to four facts, these worksheets help teach memorization for a strong recall, rather than reinforcing working out problems slowly. Students will then be able to remember these small groups of facts easier, and by the end of the worksheet will be writing answers from memory.

Teaching Math Fact Fluency with The Rocket Math Worksheet Program

Two students participating in one of Rocket Math's math fluency programs

The Rocket Math Worksheet Program improves upon this concept by using paired practice and saying facts aloud. Students partner up and practice quickly recalling facts together. One student asks the questions and watches for when their partner hesitates to answer. He or she then gives his or her partner more opportunities to practice any fact that isn’t coming to mind instantly.

The students switch roles, and after both have answered questions, they then take a one minute test on the facts that they have learned so far. If students are answering as fast as their fingers will carry them, then they pass the level and move on to the next worksheet in the sequence.

Ten minutes of practice every day gets the job done, especially when paired with using these facts in higher level math problems.

Teaching Math Fact Fluency with Games

Students and teacher playing multiplication games with dice sitting in a circle in a classroom

In addition to worksheets, schools of education tell teachers to use games to “teach” math facts. Unfortunately, most games and fun activities do not actually help individual students learning math facts to the level of fluency. These games, such as bingo or dice, have several fallouts:

  • Students spend most of their time waiting for their turn rather than practicing facts.
  • The games do not focus on teaching a small group of facts in a manner that helps students commit them to memory.
  • The games do not adjust to an individual student’s level of fluency.
  • Students can pace the game slowly enough to have time to figure out facts rather than requiring recall.
  • It is difficult to keep every student engaged, as those who are behind are less likely to participate.

Using the Rocket Math Online Game as an Effective Way to Teach Math Fact Fluency

asian child holding tablet with a math fact fluency app by Rocket Math

There are games that are very effective at building math fact fluency. Games such as the Rocket Math Online Game have several important features that make a big difference.

  1. Every student is engaged in answering math facts—not waiting for a turn.
  2. Students learn only a few new facts at a time so that they can remember them.
  3. The game provides lots of focused practice on each set of facts. 
  4. The game requires students to answer quickly, which guarantees the students recall the answer rather than “figuring it out” over and over.
  5. The game gives an immediate correction and extra practice on any facts that students cannot answer quickly and correctly.
  6. The game only introduces new facts once students demonstrate mastery of facts learned so far.
  7. The game gives students explicit feedback so they have a sense of accomplishment as they work their way through an operation.

Math Fact Fluency Benchmarks

The following benchmarks are reasonable expectations for a school that has an effective math fluency program in place. Of course, a student cannot write math facts any faster than they can normally write, so take that into account when looking at fluency benchmarks. Adjust the benchmarks for students who do not write quickly.

Kindergarten Numeral Writing Fluency Benchmarks (digits)

Start of Year Mid-Year End of Year
  20 digits per minute 40 digits per minute
 

First Grade Numeral Writing Fluency Benchmarks (digits)

Start of Year Mid-Year End of Year
40 digits per minute 60 digits per minute 60 digits per minute
 

First Grade Math Fact Fluency Benchmarks (problems per minute)

Start of Year Mid-Year End of Year
Addition: 12 per minute Addition: 25 per minute Addition: 25 per minute
 

Second Grade Math Fact Fluency (problems per minute)

Start of Year Mid-Year End of Year
Addition: 25 per minute                      Addition: 30 per minute                      Addition: 30 per minute
  Subtraction: 12 per minute Subtraction: 25 per minute
 

Third Grade Math Fact Fluency Benchmarks (problems per minute)

Start of Year Mid-Year End of Year
Addition: 30 per minute Addition: 30 per minute Addition: 30 per minute
Subtraction: 30 per minute Subtraction: 30 per minute Subtraction: 30 per minute
  Multiplication: 30 per minute Multiplication: 30 per minute
 

Fourth Grade Math Fact Fluency Benchmarks (problems per minute)

Start of Year Mid-Year End of Year
Addition: 35 per minute Addition: 35 per minute Addition: 35 per minute
Subtraction: 35 per minute Subtraction: 35 per minute Subtraction: 35 per minute
Multiplication: 35 per minute Multiplication: 35 per minute Multiplication: 35 per minute
  Division: 20 per minute Division: 35 per minute
 

Fifth Grade Math Fact Fluency Benchmarks (problems per minute)

Start of Year Mid-Year End of Year
Addition: 35 per minute Addition: 40 per minute Addition: 40 per minute
Subtraction: 35 per minute Subtraction: 40 per minute Subtraction: 40 per minute
Multiplication: 35 per minute Multiplication: 40 per minute Multiplication: 40 per minute
Division: 35 per minute Division: 40 per minute Division: 40 per minute

Math Fact Fluency Assessment

Use this printable packet of free math fact fluency assessments to test your students’ skill levels relative to  the above benchmarks. This will give you a clear idea of your students’ fluency and where there is room for opportunity.

Rocket Math’s assessment packet includes a writing speed test, which helps create realistic expectations for individual students. Using the goal sheet ensures you will evaluate the individual student math fact fluency in light of their writing speed.

Rate students as:

  1. Weak, needs fact work
  2. Good, but fact work could help
  3. Strong, fact work not needed

Special triage priority: if you have fourth-grade students and above, start with multiplication facts. Multiplication facts are essential to future success in math above fourth grade. Even if fourth graders are counting on their fingers for addition and subtraction, teach multiplication mastery first. If fourth graders move to the next grade without strong multiplication fact fluency, they will have a hard time successfully progressing through math.

The Best Tools for Developing Math Fact Fluency

With the right tools, any student can develop math fact fluency and have fun while doing it! Students use Rocket Math’s Subscription Worksheet Program to practice with partners, then take timed tests. Rocket Math also offers math facts practice online through the Rocket Math Online Game. Students can log in and play from any device, anywhere, any time of day! Start a free trial today. 

Both the worksheet program and the online game help students master addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division math facts for a lifetime of success in math.

 

 

 

In What Order Should Students Learn Fast Math Facts?

Basic, Optional, and Alternative—there are a lot of different Rocket Math programs. But which program should you use first? And in what order should you teach fast math facts? Well, it all depends on the grade you teach and the fast math facts your students have already memorized.

An overview of Rocket Math’s fast math fact programs

Rocket Math offers multiple programs because their are several ways to teach fast math facts. Here’s a link to a printable version of the different Rocket Math programs shown here.

The Basic Program

Rocket Math’s basic program includes Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication, and Division (1s-9s). The basic program must be mastered by all students.

A chart that shows the set of math fact family 5, 3, and 2 in Addition and Subtraction.The Alternative Program: Fact Families

There is another way to learn facts, which is called Fact Family math.  Instead of learning all Addition facts, students can learn Addition and Subtraction facts at the same time.  A fact family consists of four related facts, for example: 3+2 = 5, 2 + 3 = 5, 5 – 3 = 2, 5 – 2 = 3.  As an alternative to using the Basic Program, students can learn fact families up to 10 in first grade.  Then students can move on to the upper fact families 11 to 18 in second grade.  There is no clear evidence that this way is better or the separate operations way is better.  That’s why we offer both options.

Optional Programs

The rest of the fast math facts programs like Rocket Writing for Numerals or Skip Counting are optional. You should only offer these programs to students once they have memorized the fast math facts through the Basic Program or the Alternative Program.

The only exception would be in a school where Kindergarten students did not get a chance to learn how to quickly and easily write numerals. In that case, you might take the first two months of the first grade year to run students through Rocket Writing for Numerals before beginning Addition (1s-9s).

Let’s take a closer look at how to implement each program in different grade levels.

First grade math facts: Learn Addition

Rocket Math fast math facts programs for first graders include:

  • The Basic Program
    • (1s-9s) Addition
  • The Alternative Program
    • Fact Families (1-10) Add & Subtract
  • Optional Programs
    • Rocket Writing for Numerals
    • Add to 20

If first grade students are taking all year to get through sets A-Z in Addition in the Basic Program, they need some extra help.  You should intervene to help students who take more than a week to pass a level.  Often they need to practice better or practice with a better partner.  Some may need to practice a second time during the day or at home in the evening.  First grade students who finish the 1s-9s can move on to the Add to 20 Optional Program for the remainder of the year.

Likewise, if you choose to teach Fact Families (1-10) Add & Subtract from the Alternative Program instead of using the Basic Program, your students can use the Optional Programs for supplemental learning purposes.

Second grade math facts: Learn Addition and Subtraction

Rocket Math fast math facts programs for second graders include:

  • The Basic Program
    • (1s-9s) Addition
    • (1s-9s) Subtraction
  • The Alternative Program
    • Fact Families (1-10) Add & Subtract
    • Fact Families Part Two (11-18) Add & Subtract
  • Optional Programs
    • Subtract from 20
    • Skip Counting

Second grade students must have completed Addition before starting on Subtraction (1s-9s).  They can also test out of Addition through the Placement Probes.  Second graders who cannot test out of Addition in first grade or didn’t complete it in first grade must focus on Addition.  Only after getting through Set Z of Addition should they move into Subtraction.

You can substitute the Basic Program’s (1s-9s) Addition and (1s-9s) Subtraction for the Alternative Program’s Fact Families (1-10) Add & Subtract and Fact Families Part Two (11-18) Add & Subtract.

Second grade students who complete Addition and Subtraction 1s-9s (or the Alternative Program) can move on to Subtract from 20.  Students who finish Subtract from 20 can do Skip Counting, which does a great job of preparing students to learn Multiplication facts.

Third grade math facts: Learn Multiplication

There aren’t any Alternative Programs available for third graders from Rocket Math. There are only Basic and Optional Programs. These include:

  • The Basic Program
    • (1s-9s) Multiplication (priority)
    • (1s-9s) Addition
    • (1s-9s) Subtraction
  • Optional Programs
    • 10s, 11s, 12s Multiplication
    • Factors

In third grade, Multiplication has priority—even if students have not mastered Addition and Subtraction.  Multiplication facts are so integral to the rest of higher math that students are even more crippled without Multiplication facts than they are having to count Addition and Subtraction problems on their fingers.  So do Multiplication first. Then, if there’s time, students who need to do so can go back and master Addition and Subtraction.  Once all three of these basic operations are under their belts, students can go on to 10s, 11s, 12s in Multiplication (one of the Optional Programs).  If students successfully progress through each program and there is enough time left in the school year, introduce the Factors program next.

Fourth grade math facts: Learn Multiplication and Division

Like the programs for third graders, there aren’t any Alternative Programs available for fourth graders. There are only Basic and Optional Programs, which include:

  • The Basic Program
    • (1s-9s) Multiplication (priority)
    • (1s-9s) Division (second priority)
  • Optional Programs
    • 10s, 11s, 12s Multiplication
    • Factors

In fourth grade, students need to have completed Multiplication before going on to Division. If they complete Division, they can go on to 10s, 11s, 12s Division, followed by Factors, and then equivalent fractions (shown in the fifth grade section below).

Fifth grade math facts: Learn all basic operations first, then they can branch out

By fifth grade, students should have completed all four basic operations (1s-9s) within the Basic Program (or the Alternative Program for grades one and two).  If students have not completed these basics (and cannot test out of them with the Placement Probes) then the sequence they should follow is Multiplication, followed by Division, then go back and complete Addition followed by Subtraction.  The same recommendations hold for students in any grade after fifth.

Once students have mastered the basics (1s-9s add, subtract, multiply, divide), the supplemental pre-algebra programs are recommended.  These will help more than learning the 10s, 11s, 12s facts.  I would recommend this order:

  1. Factors
  2. Equivalent Fractions
  3. Learning to Add Integers
  4. Learning to Subtract Integers or Mixed Integers

Math teaching strategies #3: Teach computation procedures using consistent language

Improv can be entertaining, but it will frustrate students trying learn a procedure.

Much of math, and especially computation, is about learning a process or a set of procedures. [I am assuming you are practical enough to know that we cannot expect elementary aged children to re-discover all of mathematics on their own, as some people recommend.]

Learning a procedure means knowing “What’s next?”  If you ever learned a procedure (for example a recipe) you know that it is between steps, when you ask yourself, “What’s next?” that you need help from the written recipe.  Students are no different.  Just showing them what to do is usually not enough for them to be able to follow in your footsteps.  You need to teach them the steps of the procedure.  As with anything you teach, you are going to confuse your students if you do things in a different order, or with different words, or different steps.  What you call things, and some of how you explain yourself, and some of the sequence of doing the procedure is arbitrary.  If you are improvising you will do things differently each time and your students will be confused.  At a minimum you need  it written down.

Math teaching strategy: Use a script or a process chart to keep the instructions consistent.

We know a lot about how to help students learn a procedure.  We know we need to consistently follow the same set of steps in the same order, until students have learned it.  We know we need to explicitly tell students the decisions they must make while working so they know what to do and when, in other words, we have to make our thinking process overt.  We know we need to be consistent in our language of instruction so that students benefit from repetition of examples.  And finally, we know we need to careful in our selection of problems so that we demonstrate with appropriate examples how the new process works and where it does not work.

Guess what?  You can’t do all of that when you are improvising your instruction and making up the directions on the fly. To be able to do all that, you need a script and pre-selected examples.  Many teachers have been taught to use a chart of steps, posted in their classroom, to which they refer as they model a procedure.  The same effect can be achieved with a script, so that the teacher uses the same wording along with the same steps in the same order.  If you improvise, it won’t always be the same, which will confuse your students.

You have to learn when and how to make decisions.  Every math procedure involves looking at the situation and making decisions about what and how to do what needs to be done.  You have to know what operation to use, when to borrow, when to carry, where to write each digit and so on.  Because you as the teacher already know how to do the procedure, it is tricky to remember to explain your thinking.

Math teaching strategy: Teach a consistent rule for every decision students must make.

Good teaching involves first explaining your decision-making and then giving your students practice in making the right decision in the given circumstances and finally to make them explain why–using the rule you used in the first place.   First, you teach something like, “Bigger bottom borrows” to help students decide when to borrow.  Then you prompt them to explain how they know whether or not to borrow.  All of that should be asked and answered in the right place and at the right time.  A script or a posted process chart will help you remember all the decisions that have to be made, and what to look at to make the right one.  Without a script it is very unlikely that you will remember the exact wording each time.  You need a script to be able to deliver consistent language of instruction.

Math teaching strategy: Plan ahead to carefully choose the right examples. 

With some math procedures it is quite hard to choose the right examples.  The fine points can be obscured when the examples the teacher happens to come up with, are not quite right.  The examples may be an exception or handled differently in a way the procedure has not taught.  So for example borrowing across a zero is different than across other numerals so the numbers in a minuend must be chosen carefully rather than off the cuff.

Also, when teaching a procedure it is essential to teach when to use the procedure and when not to use that procedure.  It is important that the teacher present “non-examples,” that is, problems in which you don’t follow that procedure.  I have seen students who are taught, for example, borrowing, using only examples that need borrowing.  Then they turn around and borrow in every problem–because that is what they were taught.  They should have been taught with a few non-examples mixed in, that is, problems where borrowing wasn’t necessary so they learned correctly when to borrow as well as how to borrow.   Choosing teaching examples on the fly will often end up with more confusion rather than less.

If it bothers you to see students as frustrated as the one above, then find* or write out a script for teaching computation so that you can be consistent and effective.  Trust me, your students will love you for it.

* You may want to look at the “Learning Computation” programs within the Rocket Math Universal subscription.  Here are links to blogs on them:  Addition, Subtraction, and Multiplication.  These are sensible, small steps, clearly and consistently scripted so each skill builds on the next.

The 100-point observation form: How well do you implement Rocket Math?

Use the 100-point observation form to evaluate your implementation.

Use the 100-point Rocket Math Observation form to self-evaluate, or have someone observe your class doing Rocket Math and use the form to evaluate you.  The form observes and evaluates seventeen different indicators of the quality of your Rocket Math implementation.

You or your observer begin by looking at four important indicators of the quality of student practice.  The quality of the paired practice of your students provides most of the value of Rocket Math.  Accordingly, these four indicators provide nearly half of the 100 points.  If one or two of these things are not in place (tutors aren’t listening carefully and correcting errors AND hesitations, for example) the implementation will not earn high marks, because students won’t be learning nearly as well as they should or could.

The other thirteen indicators are mostly about the efficiency with which Rocket Math runs.  If it takes more than 15 minutes a day to complete Rocket Math, it won’t happen every day.  If Rocket Math doesn’t happen every day, students do not learn nearly as well as they should or could.

Where can you find the 100-point Observation form?

There are three places you can find this handy form.  (1) It is included in hard copy form in the Administrator and Coach Handbook which we sell and ship to you.

(2) The 100-point Observation form is also available for free on the Resources/Educator’s Resource page on our website where you can find this link to its pdf.

(3) And finally in the Rocket Math subscription filing cabinet, in the Forms and Information drawer, there is a section (pictured on the left) that is devoted to all the information in the Administrator and Coach Handbook and near the bottom you’ll see the 100-point Observation form for you to print out.

5 easy ways to get help running Rocket Math.

Here are 5 ways to get help with the procedures for successful Rocket Math implementation.

1.) Use the ***NEW*** search function.  At the upper left of the blue navigation bar is an icon of a magnifying glass.  Click on that and a search bar opens in the middle of the page.  Click within the search bar and you can type in whatever you are looking for.  It will bring up blogs, parts of the directions, basically anything I’ve written on the subject–which is a lot.  You can get pretty specific very fast, so try this first.  I’m very excited to have added this feature this week, which is why it is top of my list!

2)  FAQs.  Look at the Rocket Math FAQs page.  Click on the linked words to the left, or navigate to it.  The FAQs page is the third Rocket Math Filing cabinet on the webitem under ABOUT in navigation.  The FAQs page displays all of the questions from the teacher directions, and my answers, so you can scroll down to the topic you need quickly.   However, all the FAQs will show up in the search function as well.

2.5) The FAQs are also available in the Rocket Math filing cabinet.  They are in the top drawer, the “Forms and Information” drawer of the filing cabinet.  There are titles of the FAQs so you can open and print any one you wish.  Good for sharing with other staff.

3) Rocket Math YouTube channel. You can go to the Rocket Math YouTube channel.  Click on the linked words to the left, or search for Rocket Math in You Tube.  If you scroll down the page you can click on “View Full Playlist” and then you’ll be able to see all the topics that are available.  Right now there are 37 videos, but that could change if we add some more.

4) DVD training.  Order the Workshop Training DVD (#2004) for $29  This is the whole training from Dr. Don filmed and broken into chapters.  It is over 3 hours and gives a lot of rationale for the procedures we recommend.  Very helpful if Rocket Math is new for your staff.  Really important to do things as recommended.  Having coached this in many schools for many years, I can promise you it will go better if you follow the directions!

5) Contact Dr. Don.  Really.  You can call me (800) 488-4854 during west coast school hours and I’ll probably be able to answer the phone directly.  It’s a joy for me to talk about implementing Rocket Math with teachers, so don’t be shy.  But if you don’t reach me, please send an email to don@rocketmath.com rather than leave your phone number because during the school day teachers are very hard to reach.  I’d rather just write an answer in an email so we don’t miss each other.  And if it is a new question I’ll probably turn my answer into a blog that can be found through the search function.