Science Explains How Children Best Learn Math—And Yes, Timed Practice Helps

What’s the best way for children to learn arithmetic—memorizing number values and multiplication tables or studying math at a deeper, conceptual level?  

Educators have long debated the merits of these two approaches, but a new report in Psychological Science in the Public Interest shows that children learn most effectively when instruction follows an evidence‑based cycle: grounding facts in conceptual understanding, using brief timed practice to make those facts automatic, and then returning to discussion and reflection to deepen that knowledge.

The report, “What the Science of Learning Teaches Us About Arithmetic Fluency,” covers insights from developmental cognitive science to show how best to foster children’s arithmetic fluency—generally defined as a child’s ability to quickly and accurately solve math problems. 
 
The authors of the paper include Nicole McNeil (University of Notre Dame), Nancy Jordan (University of Delaware), Alexandria Viegut (University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire), and Daniel Ansari (Western University). The researchers—all experts on children’s math learning—describe findings on how arithmetic fluency develops, why it matters, and how educators can help students achieve it.

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