Basic Facts Knowledge
A Staff Tutorial
This tutorial will:
1. Define basic fact knowledge and outline
why it is important
2. Introduce a teaching, learning and
assessment model for basic facts
3. Help you consider how your current
practices are aligned with the model
4. Introduce a resource based on the model
Basic fact knowledge is:
the ability to have fast and fluent recall of key:
• addition/subtraction facts
• multiplication/division facts
• proportional relationships
Basic facts knowledge is important
because it:
• Aids estimation and mental
calculation
• Develops conceptual understanding
• Strengthens connections within and
between strategies
• Is key to working confidently
at “Number Properties”
Which facts are important?
Basic Fact Knowledge Progression
Book 1 Number Framework (MoE 2005)
Introducing the basic facts teaching,
learning and assessment model…
Point A: Fact Selection
At the centre of this model are sets of
basic facts that every child should learn.
The teacher selects sets of basic facts
appropriate for each student to learn
based on diagnostic information about
their learning needs.
Point B: Strategy Teaching
The set of facts is then taught through the
exploration of strategies used to solve the
equations. This strategy teaching would follow the
same sequence as numeracy sessions:
materials –> imaging –> number properties
Example: The doubles +/- 1 may be introduced
following successful practice and recall of the
doubles facts set:
8 + 7 as a double (7 + 7) + 1
Point C: Practice
Once students demonstrate proficiency with the
strategy, recall of the set of facts is developed
through games and other creative drills that
encourage accuracy and speed.
Students practice sets of facts that can be solved
by a similar strategy, giving them the opportunity
to match strategies to facts to assist in the
development of recall.
At the point of recall, students can retrieve the
answer to a fact equation quickly and efficiently.
Point D: Knowledge
Students have fast and fluent recall of the
set of facts and their knowledge becomes
a tool to help them solve number
problems.
This may also become the first step in
selecting a new set of facts to take through
the teaching cycle, as a new number
pattern or relationship emerges from what
is known.
How do you currently teach basic facts?
List what you currently do to help students learn basic
facts.
– Drills
– Flashcards
– Chanting
– Games
– Timed tests
– Quick ten
– Others?
How do your current practices fit with this
model?
Fit each of your current practices within the teaching
model by completing the chart:
Fact Selection
How do you select
appropriate facts for
each student to learn?
Strategy
Teaching
How do you develop
student understanding
of basic facts?
Practice
Knowledge
How do get students to
learn the basic facts
once they understand
them?
How do you get
students to use the
basic facts they know?
The Resource
The basic facts resource provides
A: Sets of related basic facts
B: Teaching Activities for each fact set
C: Practice Activities for each fact set
Sample page
Assessment has different purposes at each
stage of the model:
Point A: Fact Selection
Assessment provides information about the most appropriate set of
facts for each student to learn.
Point B: Strategy Teaching
Formative assessment during strategy teaching sessions provides
information about how well students are using existing known facts and
an understanding of number operations to learn new facts. Teaching is
modified accordingly.
Point C: Practice
The teacher monitors whether the set of facts is approaching recall. An
efficient way to do this is through the use of do know / don’t know
cards (next slide).
Point D: Knowledge
Assessment provides information on how students are able to use the
basic facts they know to solve problems. Analysis of errors can often
indicate the type of practice required or may even indicate need for
further teaching to repair misconceptions that have developed.
Do know / Don’t know cards
A way to encourage and monitor the development of recall.
One easy way to keep track of which facts are known
is to have a set of cards with all of the relevant
basic facts for each student, with one fact per card.
These can then be separated into 2 piles: those that
can be recalled instantly and those that can’t.
Each day students are given a card to learn from the
don’t know pile. Once it is known reliably, the card
moves into the do know pile.
In conclusion, an effective basic facts
programme will involve…
Selecting appropriate sets of related facts for each
student to learn.
Using strategy teaching to ensure students
understand facts and the relationships between
facts.
Ensuring students develop recall of facts through
practice.
Giving students opportunities to use the basic facts
they know to solve problems.