What is Procedural Fluency in Math?

Numerical Fluency is an essential part of math success. Kids who do not know their facts often struggle with more complex skills.  Once mastered, Procedural Fluency is next in line!  "I know my facts, but now what??? How do I use them? Which one do I use when?" Often, this shows up late in elementary school or middle school, when the breadth of problem solving strategies have been covered and it is up to the student to begin applying independently.

Can your student give themselves the kickstart necessary to attack a problem? Do they sit there staring at the page not knowing where to start? These could be signs that they lack the confidence to get themselves going.

Procedural Fluency is a student's ability to understand the material with such depth that they can apply the ideal problem solving method correctly and efficiently. I call this building your mathematical toolbox. There are often times that two or three tactics will work, but which is the most efficient? Which leaves less room for error (why turn a two step problem into a five step problem and risk a mistake or two along the way?) and saves time when the clock is ticking.

So how is Procedural Fluency developed? Practice. Exposure. Experience. Modeling by professionals. Through formal lessons in the classroom or with a quality math tutor, students build an arsenal of skills and tactics to move through a problem. They draw on their numeric fluency skills, they choose a strategy that makes sense, and they assess for reasonableness. A student secure in their procedural fluency can often find a second way to solve the same problem to justify their answer.

It is never too late to build a math toolbox! If your child has the numeric skills, but struggles with Procedural Fluency, give Mathnasium of 4S Ranch a call! Our math tutors will provide the instruction and support to help them grow!

To learn more, visit the NCTM website:  http://www.nctm.org/about/content.aspx?id=42833
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