Incoming Sixth Grade Students
While our math program emphasizes understanding of concepts and problem-solving skills, students who have mastered the basic multiplication and division facts and the relationship between them have a head start in finding success. Therefore, we are making mastery of the basic math facts (without counting on fingers) the focus of our summer assignment. Remember, practice makes perfect. Consider keeping these facts in the car, on the refrigerator, and taped to a mirror in the bedroom for easy access and frequent practice. Students will not need long practice sessions but they will need to practice, at least 3-5 times per week, the more difficult facts may need to be reviewed more frequently so your child can learn them.
Knowing that we learn by seeing, hearing, and doing, we are asking students to use the following steps to study their flashcards:
- Make a space for two piles. One pile will be for the facts you immediately know (without fingers). The other pile will be for facts that you do not know right away.
- Study one flashcard at a time. Start with the side without the answer.
- Look at the fact carefully.
- Say the fact out loud.
- Some students may also benefit by tracing the numbers with their finger as they say it.
- Check the back of the card. Read the fact with its answer out loud again.
- If you know the fact, put it in the pile you know. If you do not know the fact put it in the second pile that needs more practice.
- Take the flashcards from the second pile and repeat the steps until these facts are known immediately.
- Please do not substitute math games or activities
for the flashcard practice 3-5 times per week. These games can
be use as an additional fun way to review.
(See our suggested websites for additional fun practice).
We thank you for supervising this endeavor. It will help to provide the basic skills that are the foundation for success.
Sincerely,
The 6th Grade Middle School Teachers