Abstract:

Along with conceptual understanding and problem solving, elementary school curriculum in many countries have expectations that refer to fluency in basic operations. Fluency is not simply about computational drills without attributing meaning to operations. In contrast, it is about learning basic addition facts with a focus on "developing and using mathematical strategies, with the goal of finding efficient, effective ways to apply known facts to derive unknown facts” (Kling, 2011). Research indicates that children who are fluent in basic arithmetic facts tend to perform better in complex mathematical tasks (Skinner, Fletcher, & Hennington, 1996). In addition, lack of fluency was found to be related to students’ mathematics anxiety (Cates & Rhymer, 2003). In this sense, students’ fluency in arithmetic deserves a careful attention and monitoring in schools. On the other hand, fluency is not a skill that needs to be mastered in extended time period and requires long term programs spread over the entire school year.
The current study uses an approach named ‘curriculum based measurement’ (CBM) for monitoring a program that aims to improve third grade students’ fluency in multiplication facts. The purpose of this study is to share the results regarding the effectiveness of CBM. The study was conducted in an elementary school in Ankara Turkey, with 7 teachers and 140 3rd grade students.
CBM is a method to assess students’ progress in a basic academic skill. Measures used in CBM have short duration so that it can be administered frequently, are suitable for developing multiple forms, and are sensitive to the improvements in student achievement in time (Deno, 1985). In using CBM, each student was given a test of multiplication facts each week, which lasted 2 minutes. Teachers scored students and each student’s scores were recorded and displayed on a graph. These scores were monitored weekly by teachers to compare students’ performances to the expectations.
Results indicated that teachers received objective and reliable information about their students’ progress in multiplication facts. Based on the information provided by CBM, teachers were able to identify students who were behind the expectations and could provide supportive activities. CBM results were also used to monitor the effectiveness of the arithmetic fluency program being implemented.

References:
Kling, G. (2011). Fluency with Basic Addition. Teaching Children Mathematics, 18(2), 80-88.
Skinner, C.H., Fletcher, P. A., & Henington, C. (1996). Increasing learning rates by increasing student response rates: A summary of research. School Psychology Quarterly, 11(4), 313-325.
Cates, G. L., & Rhymer, K. N. (2003). Examining the relationship between mathematics anxiety and mathematics performance: A learning hierarchy perspective. Journal of Behavioral Education, 12, 23-34.
Deno, S.L. (1985). Curriculum-based measurement: The emerging alternative. Exceptional Children, 52, 219-232.

Keywords:

Mathematics education, computational fluency, curriculum based assessment.