I want to start by admitting that I used timed tests WITH a timer in my classroom my first couple years teaching upper elementary. At the time, I didn’t see an issue with it and thought that all students should just be able to memorize their math facts. Well, a couple years into using timed tests, I was proven wrong when I had a parent come to me very upset about the anxiety that these timed tests were causing her child. I didn’t realize at the time, but this child wasn’t the only child that was having anxiety and frustration with learning math facts because of timed tests. Once I did realize, I knew that I need to change how I taught math facts. This is when I started doing timed math facts tests WITHOUT a timer! Sounds contradictory, right?
I have always loved how the timed test papers I use would single out a certain number (ex: multiplication timed tests on all the 8 multiplication facts). This would give me a good understanding of different math fact numbers, or multiples of a number, that my class or a specific student needed to work on. I knew I wanted to find a way to continue having my students practice their multiplication facts, but still use the timed test paper that singled out certain facts. This is when I decided to start doing Timed Tests WITHOUT a timer. My students fill out the same paper form that they did before when we did timed tests, but instead of putting a timer with it, I just make it an activity. I normally would add it as an activity to our math fluency center. Students would complete the math fact practice (timed tests form that I have used for years) and then turn it in. After they turned it in, they would choose a math fact activity to practice their math facts. I like to keep a bucket full of math fact practice activities in my classroom. By still using the timed test papers, I could see which of my students still needed practice with a certain multiple of a number and being fluent in their facts, but there wasn’t anxiety of a timer and a student being good at memorization did not become the main focus of their math fact fluency. Are you wondering how I tracked my student’s math fact fluency?
In my classroom, we use multiplication fact ice cream cones! What student does not like ice cream?!? Once a student had gotten 90% of a number (ex: 6’s in multiplication) correct twice, I would then let them add a fact scoop to their multiplication fact ice cream cone. They love watching their ice cream cones grow and seeing how high they can go!
Are you wondering what I mean by Multiplication Fact Ice Cream Cones? Let me explain, every year, I would have a multiplication ice cream party with my students to celebrate the accomplishment of learning their multiplication facts. Throughout the first semester, my students would be given many opportunities to practice and show their multiplication fact fluency. As mentioned above, once they were able to show their fluency 90% of the time twice for a multiplication fact number, they would be given a paper ice cream scoop to add to their multiplication fact ice cream cone . I like to print the scoops in different colors, but you could leave them black and white for students to decorate too! This helped my student’s track which facts they should work on during their math fluency center and helped me see which facts I could give students some additional practice. Then, at the end of the first semester, we would have our multiplication fact ice cream party. Students would receive different toppings based off of the facts they had shown they were fluent in.
Are you interested in learning more about Multiplication Fact Ice Cream or do you want to try this out with your class? Click the image below to grab Multiplication Fact Ice Cream Rewards for your class!
