A Review of Building Math Fluency from Evan-Moor

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Math is one of those areas where sometimes things just “click” and you get it right away…and sometimes you need a little help along the way! It can be a real struggle to find the right tools to help things “click”! I was so thrilled when I discovered Evan-Moor’s Building Math Fluency for Grade 3. My daughter is currently in 4th grade but has been struggling with learning her multiplication facts. Building Math Fluency turned out to be the perfect tool to help give her the strategies she needed to begin mastering her multiplication facts!

WHAT IS BUILDING MATH FLUENCY ALL ABOUT?

Building Math Fluency books are designed to give students the tools to begin thinking about math in strategic ways. Learning math facts is all about looking at relationships between numbers. Once the students are able to see the relationships between certain numbers, they are then able to translate that into future math problems!

I absolutely LOVE how this book is set up! It includes Strategy Practice, Skills Testing, and Fact Flashcards.

A LOOK INSIDE BUILDING MATH FLUENCY GRADE 3

Building Math Fluency Grade 3 focuses on several different math concepts. It contains strategies for Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication, and Division. My main reason for wanting to give this book a try is for the multiplication and division. This is the area that my daughter is struggling with. While she doesn’t need the additional help in the areas of addition and subtraction, it will be a perfect help for my son who is in 2nd grade. He is working on addition and subtraction and I know that learning these strategies will really help solidify his understanding.

So, for the purpose of this review I am going to mainly focus on the multiplication because that is what we are currently working on..but just know that Grade 3 does also include addition, subtraction, and division!

Ok…on to the good stuff!

Each operation that is taught…adding, subtraction, multiplication, and division…begins with a section on HOW to teach the strategies. This was absolutely GOLD for me. I loved that not only were they teaching what the strategies are…but they were teaching ME how to teach them. An absolute win in my book!

Following the HOW to teach section we will come to a section on the particular strategies. I am thinking about tearing this page out and laminating it for my daughter to keep in her math folder. It is a great quick reference guide for her!

On to the lessons! At the top of each sheet is a description of the strategy…for example:

“Strategy Times 2- Times 2 is double the number. Think Doubles facts to solve Times 2”

My daughter absolutely LOVED this reminder. It helped her brain to recognize the connection between addition and multiplication. It reminded her that to do her 2 times tables all she has to do is double the number. This is a great strategy for a child who struggles with multiplication. By learning these strategies she is gaining confidence!

Each number presented from 1-12 is shown with a strategy to help the child master that particular skill. They then are given the sheet to complete which allows them to practice the particular strategy.

To take a deeper look into the book just head on over here…the Evan-Moor website is SO detailed and allows an inside peek at the books!

WHY WE LOVED BUILDING MATH FLUENCY

• Teaches Strategies– I was thrilled to learn that Building Math Fluency focuses on teaching strategies first. By giving kids the tools they need to complete the problems it helps build math confidence!
• Perforated Pages– Perforated pages are amazing for a classroom teacher who wants to use the sheets with multiple children OR for a homeschool Mama like myself who has younger children. I can very easily save this book for when my son is ready to learn multiplication. Adds value to the book when you are able to use it again!
• Practice– Learning math is all about practice! Building Math Fluency provides the student a chance to practice their new skill…and has a place to review as well!
• Flash Cards– We LOVED the inclusion of flashcards at the back of Building Math Fluency. Flash cards are such an awesome way to practice and build memorization of these math facts.
• Answer Key– We love having the answer key included in the back. It allows my daughter to be able to check her work. This is especially awesome when I am working with another kiddo on something!
• Correlated to Current State Standards– I personally do not use State Standards as a guide for my homeschool but I know that many teachers are required to do so!
• Tests– I love the inclusion of the tests. I chose to tear them out and make several copies so that we can keep practicing.

ANOTHER HOME RUN FROM EVAN-MOOR

We use A LOT of Evan-Moor books in our homeschool…a lot! The reason for this is that they are amazing resources. They are high quality, affordable, and enjoyable for my kids…what more could a homeschool Mama want? To read about some of my very favorite products from Evan-Moor click here and here!

If you have a child who is struggling with multiplication or you simply want a way to reinforce their knowledge of multiplication concepts, then I highly recommend Building Math Fluency Grade 3. It has been such a valuable resource for my daughter.

Building Math Fluency is available for Grades 1, 2, 3 and 4-6. For more information or to grab your own copy, head right on over to Evan-Moor’s website.