Chapel Hill State School

Number Facts- Information for Parents

What are number facts?

Number facts are the basic number combinations that need to be memorised for each of the four operations – addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. We need immediate recall of these number combinations for estimating and calculating with larger numbers.

Most adults recognise number facts by another name – “tables”. Number facts certainly address the same number combinations as those learnt as “tables”.

A different name is assigned because of the way in which they are taught. Rather than relying upon rote learning of lists or tables of individual facts, number facts are now taught in clusters which cut across the traditional “table” groupings.

How important are number facts?

The learning of number facts has traditionally been and continues to remain a very important part of the mathematics curriculum. Even in today’s technologically advanced society, the importance of quick and accurate recall cannot be stressed enough.

Technology and the increased emphasis on problem solving means that more mathematics is now being done mentally and with the assistance of calculators rather than in the traditional pen and paper mode. This is reflected in today’s mathematics curriculum where the amount of time spent on lengthy pencil and paper calculations, unrelated to everyday life, has greatly diminished to allow more time for these new priorities.

In order to complete any mental calculation, a student must be able to recall the related number facts. In the case of effectively using calculators with large numbers, students must be able to determine the reasonableness of the answers obtained. This implies that students must be competent at estimating answers. This ability depends upon the quick recall of the related number fact (or facts). Thus, to use a calculator efficiently when working with large numbers, students must be better at the recall of number facts than was necessary when using traditional written calculations.

How important are number facts?

There are 390 number facts that all students are expected to learn:

• 100 addition facts which range from

0+0 =

9+9=

• 100 subtraction facts which are the reverse of the addition facts
  

• 100 multiplication facts which range from

0x0=

9x9=

• 90 division facts which are the reverse of the multiplication (because division by zero is not possible, these are not included).

In monitoring your children’s work you have probably noticed that teachers now prefer to use the vertical format

6

+5

------

11

for recording number facts in preference to the horizontal form 6 + 5 = 11. This is an important change designed to ease the transition to written calculations with larger numbers.

How do we teach number facts?

Today students are explicitly taught thinking strategies which facilitate the memorisation and recall of basic facts. The thinking strategies provide a way of structuring the facts to help children relate sets of facts. Students are taught how to reach answers by thinking about facts that they already know. In this way, facts are clustered and taught in groups rather than as individual pieces of information which have to be remembered.

The strategies which are taught have evolved by analysing the ways people recall facts. For example, in adding 7 and 8, a strategy used by many people is to think “double seven and one more”. This is, in fact, an example of one of the strategies which are taught to students.

Students are also introduced to ‘turnarounds’ to reduce the number of facts to be learned. For example, if children understand 6 + 4 is the same as 4 + 6, then the number facts to be learned is halved.

Among the thinking strategies taught for each operation are the following:

Addition

• counting on 1, 2, 3 or 0, doubles, doubles add 1, doubles add 2, and make-to-ten

Subtraction

• think-of-the-addition fact, counting on/back, doubles (these directly relate the addition strategies)

Multiplication

• twos facts, fives facts, nines facts, ones/zeros facts and the squares are taught first (other facts build from these)

Division

• the main strategy taught is to refer to the multiplication facts

For more detailed information in regard to the teaching and number facts, contact your child’s teacher.

How parents can help?

There are a number of ways that you can help your children to develop and maintain proficiency with number facts. You can:

• talk to your children and find out what number facts are currently being taught or practiced at school;
• keep in touch with your child’s teacher to be aware of how the facts are being taught;
• make available blocks, buttons, counters or similar materials for children to manipulate – these are useful in dealing with the “I don’t know” response;
• play dice, card and spinner games which provide a real context for children to apply their knowledge of facts;

• practice facts with your children on a regular basis – in the car, while shopping, even while they’re in the bath;
• encourage your children to see the links between facts e.g.

2+3=5

5-2=3

• allow children to informally explore number combinations on the calculator; and
• praise your children’s achievements as they master sets of number facts – the saying that “nothing succeeds like success’ certainly holds true for the learning of number facts.