If you do timed multiplication fact tests, how do you manage it?
1.How often do you test?
2.How many minutes do you give?
3.How many facts do you give?
4.How do you easily keep track of where your students are on mastery?
5.How do you encourage the kids (special bulletin board, incentives, etc)?
I use the Mad Minute program. After giving the students a few weeks to practice at home they start the timed tests. The book has a specific order of sets. They start doing 30 problems in one minute. Once they get all correct 3 times (for some this takes many tries), they move on to the next set. I made a race track and they each design their own race car. Each time they move on to a new set, they move their car one spot forward on the track. They love this and everyone cheers when one student gets to move their car so it motivates others to practice at home! They make a little paper trophy once they have gone all around the track (which means they have mastered the 0-10 facts.) Hope this helps!
I give a test almost everyday. I give my students 13 facts on the test.
I give the number times zero through twelve. I have them mixed up though, so they are not in number sequence. They have two minutes to complete the test. They must make a 100 to go on to the next test. Mine take the tests in this order; 0, 1, 2, 5, 10, 11, 9, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, and finally 12. I feel this gives them an advantage because it is all the easy sets first. That way they gain confidence with all their successes. Then they know so many reverse facts that the more difficult sets are not so difficult. When they have passed their 12's with a 100 they have to do a page of 100 facts all mixed up from the different sets. Hope that makes sense and helps.
1.How often do you test? daily-Mon.-Thurs. 20 questions, Fri. 100 questions
2.How many minutes do you give? 1 minute on 20 questions, 5 minutes on 100 questions
3.How many facts do you give? I start with 0&1 and then add one at a time as they master them
4.How do you easily keep track of where your students are on mastery? I just have it written on a piece of notebook paper
5.How do you encourage the kids (special bulletin board, incentives, etc)? I haven't started bribing the yet, but I will if I have to. Right now I just act all excited, as if timed tests were the most fun part of the day, and they get all excited too. I've made it a big deal to move up to the next facts.
1.How often do you test? They learn the facts on Monday, and take the test every Friday
2.How many minutes do you give? 1 minute each for 13 facts (0-12)
3.How many facts do you give? 13 facts, but for some of the brighter students, I add in more
4.How do you easily keep track of where your students are on mastery? They each have their own "pizza plate"
5.How do you encourage the kids (special bulletin board, incentives, etc)? I have a bulletin board that has their pizza plate on it. As they master a fact, they get a slice of pizza on their plate. Once they have filled up their plate, they get a prize, and once the entire class has filled up the plates, we will have a pizza party!
I started with addition 100 point test for five minutes every Thursday. When they get 95 or higher 3 times or 100% then they move on to subtraction, then mixed math, then subtraction. The kids love the time tests, which really surprises me. When they pass, they get to sign their name to the Magical Mathematician bulletin board.
We do 36 problems in three minutes. They start with 2, 5, 4, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, and we end with mixed facts. We have a goal... If they get 100% first time every time they get a gold sticker on the chart. When they have to restest they are on a silver level. Or once they get 100% they get a red sticker. (They all eventually get 100%. If I have to accomidate... ie sit on the timer, aids or parents come in to do flash cards. We practice, practice, practice.I also have a watered down version with more 1's and 0's.) When they all get 100% and they will, we end with a multiplication celebration. We have an icecream sundae celebration. We award a gold medal to the golds - 100% first time every time. Silver medals to those who get 100% by the second time. We give certificates to all the others. We found math medals quite inexpensive. We have ribbons that are our school colors. Gold students get their icream 1st. then Silver etc. We used to track progress with a clown holding an icecream cone. Each scoop represented mastery of a fact. It was a lot to maintain. We currently keep a picture in our desk. they color parts of teh sundae as they master. ie. bannana for the 2's. spoon for the 3's.
I once toyed with the idea buggy for multiplication. whereas the children build cootie bugs from the game cooties. They add body parts everytime they master a fact. Hope it makes sense.
11-23-2009, 02:02 PM
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