First I’d remind them that the standard of “Fluently +/- within 5” is the standard for the END of the year. So assessments along the way may not be assessing what is typically seen as ‘fluently adding or subtracting’ but instead might be assessing the number knowledge (number sense) needed for them to eventually get to the point of adding/subtracting fluently.

The progressions document (https://bmmcommunity.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/CC+Math+Progressions.pdf) has 3 pages (p.17-20) that detail out the progression of Kindergarteners’ development of addition & subtraction and only ONE sentence in those 3 pages even talks about fluency, and in that sentence they are really saying that you need to focus on helping kids compose & decompose numbers (which is part of number sense)…from page 20: “Experience with decompositions of numbers and with Add To and Take From situations enables students to begin to fluently add and subtract within 5.K.OA.5”

That same document goes on to say on page 27 “The word fluent is used in the Standards to mean “fast and accurate.” Fluency in each grade involves a mixture of just knowing some answers, knowing some answers from patterns (e.g., “adding 0 yields the same number”), and knowing some answers from the use of strategies. It is important to push sensitively and encouragingly toward fluency of the designated numbers at each grade level, recognizing that fluency will be a mixture of these kinds of thinking which may differ across students….” and then reminds us that “By the end of the K–2 grade span, students have sufficient experience with addition and subtraction to know single-digit sums from memory;2.OA.2”

So the typical idea we have of “fluently” is usually “know from memory” but the progressions say that isn’t what is meant by it until the end of 2nd grade.  Up to that point they should be using a mixture of  knowing some, using patterns, using relationships, and strategies.

Here’s a short video that gives an overview of fact fluency if a video format would be helpful: https://pd.buildmathminds.com/courses/bmm-archive/lessons/vlogs/topic/fact-fluency-the-best-way-to-develop-kids-fact-fluency/ 

>>>>>Christina

Thank you so much for this. The information you provided is a great starting point for me. This site has taught me a lot in a short amount of time. As a person who taught high school math for 25 years, I am venturing in the elementary grades for the first time. I am learning all over again and discovering how much I really do not know. “Everything starts in kindergarten”. Lol.

Thank you again for sharing.

Robin