Teaching & Learning

Number Fluency - The Power of Automatic Recall

At St Joseph’s, we base all of our learning and teaching on current research. This evidence-based approach is at the heart of our policies, our teachers' planning, and our daily classroom practices. 

One of the most vital base skills in Mathematics is the automatic recall of facts. This includes:

• Addition and Subtraction: Moving beyond counting on fingers to instant recall.
• Multiplication and Division: Understanding the relationship between groups and factors.

Why do we prioritise this? 

When students can effortlessly recall these facts, they build the confidence needed to tackle complex problem-solving situations. Think of maths facts like the sight words of numeracy, when a student can instantly recall that 7 + 8 = 15 or 6 x 4 = 24, they free up their working memory to solve more complex, multi-step problems. Without this fluency, students often get bogged down in the basic arithmetic and lose track of the bigger mathematical picture.

Explicit Teaching with "Fluency Bricks"

To ensure every child succeeds, we use a developmental continuum of skills known as our Fluency Bricks. These bricks were designed using expert research from Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools (MACS), Mathematical educators and researchers, and our own leadership team.

How it works in the classroom:

• Explicit Instruction: These skills are explicitly taught and assessed every day.
• Visual Tracking: Each student has their own Fluency Brick wall that they use to track their own progression.
• Move to Long-Term Memory: To ensure students retain their knowledge, they engage in daily games and repetition. This prevents the "forgetting curve" from occuring and ensures they don't just memorise for a short period, but master the skill for life.

How You Can Support at Home

For these skills to move into long-term memory, "little and often" is the golden rule. You can help your child climb the "bricks" by trying these research-backed strategies:

• Addition & Subtraction (The Foundation):
  • Near Doubles: If your child knows 6 + 6 = 12, ask them what 6 + 7 is. Help them see the "double plus one" strategy.
  • Partitioning: Practice "breaking up" numbers. For example, "How many different ways can we make the number 10?" (8+2, 7+3, etc.)
• Multiplication & Division (The Next Level):
  • Skip Counting: Practice skip counting (2s, 5s, 10s, then 3s and 4s) while walking to school or driving to the shops.
  • Arrays are Everywhere: Point out a muffin tray or a carton of eggs. Ask, "How many rows? How many in each row? What is the total?"
  • The Fact Family: If they know 5 x 4 = 20, challenge them to find the "missing" division fact (20 ÷ 4 = 5).

Talk to your classroom teacher if you would like more ways to build your child's number fluency.