I have always loved the phrase “no time wasted” when it comes to teaching. Most teachers only have a group of students for 1 year. That means you have 1 year to help your students grow and prepare them for what is next. Now, I am not saying don’t give your students brain breaks or moments when they are not learning (that is a whole different blog post), but what I am saying is that we need to do all we can in that one year to prepare our students for what is next. In Upper Elementary, we know that math fact fluency is so important to helping our students be successful in math and is important for our students to build for the rest of their education. I have taken the “no time wasted” phrase and come up with 10 different activities that you can use throughout the week to help build your student’s multiplication fact fluency.
- Multiplication Charts: This is another activity that is easy for students to pull out and work at if they finish something early. This chart also turns into a great reference tool for students when it is complete!
- Binder Ring Flashcards: I love keeping a binder ring of flashcards with my class as we are going through the hallways. This way, if we are waiting outside of a special’s class, we can pull out these flashcards or waiting to go into assembly, we have the flashcards. I tell my students to use whisper voices in the hallway when we are doing flashcards.
- Math Warm Up Flashcards : As students are transitioning to their seats for math, sometimes I will have a student stand up front and show math flashcards. Everyone yells out the product as they are going to their seats and getting out their math materials. I like to use giant ones!
- Individual Student Flashcards: I print out or have students create flashcards for math facts that are tricky for them. Your students can keep them in their pencil pouch, in a baggie or put a binder ring around them for easy access to pull out when they finish work early or have transition times.
- Multiples Songs: I love to play multiple songs throughout the day (especially tricky numbers like 7 or 8). I play them when students are transitioning, coming in the classroom, having snack, etc.
- Math Fact Nametags: I cannot claim this idea as my own. I saw it years ago on instagram and loved it! Each student wears a nametag for the day that has a math fact. Instead of calling one another by names, you call the person by the answer to the math fact on their nametag.
- Morning Work Activities: I love to start off the day by letting my students choose an activity to do as students come in. I always make sure a couple of the choices help them practice their math facts. Some of my students favorites are Multiplication War (click here to grab FREE directions) and Multiplication Math Fact Mazes.
- Multiplication Whole Group Breaks: I love to keep a couple whole group games on hand if we finish a lesson 5 minutes early or if we have extra time before lunch or specials. My class’s favorites are Around the World (tip put the flashcards on the document camera for all students to see) and I Have, Who Has, Multiplication Version.
- Multiplication Fact High Five: Print out some pictures of a hand and have your students high five that hand saying the answer to the multiplication fact every time they go in and out of the classroom. This is especially great for those tricky multiplication facts like, 8×7 or 12×12.
- Early Finisher Multiplication Activities: I always have a basket in my room full of different activities my students can do independently to practice their multiplication facts if they finish another task early.
Would you like to have some multiplication fact activities on hand to help your students build math fact fluency throughout the day? Checkout my Multiplication Fact Fluency Bundle by clicking the image below!
