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Rocket Math Information for
Parents: If your child is in grades 2
- 5, they are probably participating in the Rocket Math program here at
Kingwood. Rocket Math is actually the Mastering Math Facts program created by
Dr. Donald Crawford for Otter Creek Institute in The basic idea of the program
is to help children learn their math fact at their own speed, a few facts at
a time. A goal is determined for each
child based on how fast that child can write.
You cannot, for example, expect a child to complete 40 addition facts
in one minute is he is only capable of writing 32 numbers in a minute. Every child has a goal determined by a
timed writing test first. After the goal is determined,
the timed fact tests can begin. Some
people do not agree with the concept of timed fact tests. The problem is that a child's knowledge of their
facts will affect their ability to do many, many things in future math
courses. Once the concepts of
addition, subtraction, multiplication and division are understood, the facts
are simply an item to be memorized. If
they are not memorized, the child will use valuable time "figuring"
each time the fact comes up. Rocket Math is meant to
provide the children with daily oral practice. This oral practice requires the children to
say their facts aloud to a partner and provide the answer. By asking the child to speak the problem and
its answer together, the entire fact can be recalled easier. If a child is practicing facts simply by
reading a list of answers, the answer will not by stuck to a specific problem
in the child's head. Children in this program are
expected to learn only a few facts at a time.
At the beginning of the program, your child should bring home a list
of facts in the order that they will be learned. If you want to help your child practice,
you can make flash cards. To make the
flash cards, simply find the letter of the test your child will be
taking. Your child must know all of
the facts up to and including that letter.
Each day your child advances a level, add new flash cards to the
deck. The way the program is
structured, you should be adding only three or four new cards each time. As of September 2007, this
program is beginning its 2nd year here at Kingwood and I have had a lot of
positive comments from parents and teachers.
I hope your child enjoys the program and learns his/her facts. Mrs. Sara Alpaugh K -8 Math Specialist
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