Procedural fluency is a key part of a student’s overall understanding of math concepts. That’s why every Eureka Math2® lesson includes a fluency component. This part of the lesson supports practice of previously learned skills and sets the foundation for the day’s lesson. As you start to plan a Eureka Math2 lesson, here are some tips to keep in mind for getting the most out of fluency.
Set a rough time limit for the fluency part of your lesson.
A Eureka Math2 lesson has one or more fluency activities. The class does not have to complete every fluency activity in the lesson. You can choose from these activities and complete those that fit the time you have and meet your students’ needs. Set a time limit for fluency and make some choices about which fluency activity or activities you’ll do and how much time you’ll take with each activity.
Customize fluency routines to meet your students’ needs.
Fluency can be customized to fit your students’ needs. One way to customize fluency is to use a fluency activity as designed but to change things such as the sequence of problems or the numbers you use. Another way to customize fluency time is to provide differentiation by having groups of students each do a different fluency activity. This might mean that you allow some students to engage in an independent fluency game from a previous lesson while you gather other students to work with you on another activity. One more way you might customize fluency is by using a fluency routine you’ve seen in a different lesson that helps you address misconceptions you notice in students’ work. Use your professional knowledge and knowledge of your students to make fluency choices that are right for you.
Create classroom routines to make fluency activities more efficient.
You probably use routines in your classroom to help things run smoothly. Routines work for lots of things, such as getting students' attention, transitioning between subjects, and gathering materials. Routines can also help fluency activities run better. Set routines that will work well for both you and your students.
A good example of an effective routine is using signals for what students should do. For instance, hand signal routines are effective with choral counting. Cup your hand around your ear to indicate you want students to listen. Lift your finger to your temple when you want students to think and use a deliberate thumbs-up or thumbs-down signal to indicate you want students to count up or count down. As you encounter new fluency activities, consider using routines that will help the activity run well and take the time to teach them to your class. Once a routine is established, it will help you move through fluency activities more efficiently.
Fluency activities are an important part of Eureka Math2. They are quick, engaging, and usually require minimal planning. Eureka Math2 provides hundreds of fluency activities. So the next time you are preparing a lesson, include fluency in your plans and keep these tips in mind.
