Mad Math Minutes: Whole Group and Guided Math Practice

Posted on January 31, 2011. Filed under: Assessment, Elementary math, Guided math, Mathematical Proficiency | Tags: automaticity, fluency, math minutes, procedural fluency, timed tests |

We used to give mad math minutes all the time.  Back in the Day:) Some people still do it. Others don’t.  Here’s what I think.    We should do mad math minutes.  It builds fluency, IF we do it in a way that builds fluency.  Fluency doesn’t just happen.  We plan for it. So, I would give mad math minutes in a scaffolded way.  I would do it by problem sets, working on particular MATH dolch words.  For example, +0 and +1 facts or complements of 5 and then 10, or doubles, doubles +1, doubles +2 or lucky 8 and lucky 9 facts.  I would give no more than 10 -20  problems at a time.  I would give a minute.  AND AFTER, I WOULD HAVE THE STUDENTS GRADE THE TEST.  THEY WOULD CIRCLE WHAT THEY GOT WRONG. TALK ABOUT WHAT THEY KNOW ALREADY AND WHAT THEY ARE STILL LEARNING. COME UP WITH AN ACTION PLAN FOR STUDYING FOR THE NEXT TEST.  THEY WOULD ONLY  COMPETE AGAINST THEMSELVES.  I would start everyone (even our 4th and 5th graders) out with addition, then subtraction, then multiplication and then division, of course mixing them up as they pass each category. I would start giving mad math minutes around the middle of kinder only on +0, +1 and complements of 5 (New Common Math Core says kinder should know up to 5). Let me know what you think.

Here are some mad math minutes:

Printables:

http://www.mff.org/mmc/madmath_25.pdf

http://www.dadsworksheets.com/v1/Worksheets/Subtraction.html

http://www.dadsworksheets.com/v1/Worksheets/Multiplication.html

http://www.superteacherworksheets.com/math-drills-minute.html

http://www.softersoftware.com/math/

http://www.webmathminute.com/online.asp (both)

Internet Ones:

http://www.oswego.org/ocsd-web/games/Mathmagician/cathymath.html (personal favorite)

http://www.softschools.com/math/games/mad_minute_math/

http://www.mrsbogucki.com/aemes/resource/apps/madmath/madmath.htm

Happy Mathing,

Dr. Nicki