Recent state math tests (CAASPP) show many Monterey County districts reporting low percentages of K-12 students proficient in math: Only 22 percent in Salinas, 19 percent in King City, 17 percent in North Monterey County (NMCUSD). Essential foundational skills aren’t being taught and practiced to mastery.
One such skill is math fact fluency, specifically memorizing single-digit addition facts, like 3+4=7, and memorizing single digit multiplication facts, like 6×8=48 (“the times tables”).
California’s Math Content Standards, the content students are expected to learn, define fluency as “fast and accurate,” explicitly requiring students to “know from memory” these math facts by the end of third grade.