Should teachers/students do rapid recall drills or mad-minute tests?
Students should not be drilled on concepts they do not understand. Reciting basic facts without understanding the relationships between numbers and concepts Is like learning spelling words that are not within the child’s speaking and reading vocabulary. The skill will not be secure in the child’s long-term memory and will not be efficiently retrieved or applied in the future. Students need strategies in math just like they need strategies in reading. These strategies need to be explicitly and directly taught. Students then need to practice applying the strategies until they are solidly used with understanding. Everyday Mathematics distributes practice throughout the year mostly through a variety of game-like activities.. Some students may need additional, strategy specific, practice. When strategies are secure, drills for speed may be appropriate. If children experience drill or timed tests before a skill has become secure, they often revert to a lower level less efficient strategy (e.
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