Dear Matt,

I have a question. My school is looking for the BEST computer program that can help our students learn their computation facts in a fun and efficient way. Is there a computer program out there that we can purchase and that is VERY FUN for our students? Please let me know what the leading computer game is so that we can help these kids learn their facts without relying so much on flashcards.
MN upper elementary grade teacher

Response:

Dear teacher:

There is probably no single “right answer” for your question. If there were, it would be widely publicized and used by everyone. But here are some suggestions. Most software comes with a free 30 day trial to test it. You might want to order some programs that look promising, and monitor the reactions and results you observe while your students are trying them out. Using recommendations of organizations and journals that review software, many of which give awards annually, is a good way to narrow your search. Software, however, cannot take the place of an effective teacher, who is able to diagnose student difficulties and misconceptions, and provide sufficient conceptual background and thoughtful practice. No software, no matter how fun, can do those things as well as a good teacher.

Much research indicates that students will reach quick recall by making sense of computation, often in a problem solving context. Practice with flash cards emphasizes memorization. We know many students are not good at memorizing. So using other strategies is a better way of helping them develop quick recall. For example, skip counting is a quick means of generating multiplication facts, and strategies such as using doubles, doubles + 1, etc, can be effective for learning and remembering addition facts. Having students measure their progress against themselves gives them encouragement, and takes away the stress that sometimes accompanies timed tests.

By the upper elementary grades, valuable class time should be spent on topics at the grade level, such as decimals, dividing multi-digit numbers, and 2- and 3-dimensional shapes. However, since single digit facts are such a foundation for these advanced skills, students with gaps in these facts could use a calculator during regular grade level math lessons, while they use time outside of mathematics class to work on their single-digit facts. Good luck as you continue to work to help all your students learn powerful mathematics!

Matt

Matt Mentor, a wise and experienced teacher, offers advice about teaching mathematics topics to beginning teachers. Of course, experienced teachers can join in as well.

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