One of the key skill students need to develop in math is computation. Much of math is based on being able to add, subtract, multiply, and divide. The curriculum is organized in a manner that computation builds from year to year. Students start with basic addition and subtration of whole numbers, move into column addition and subtraction, begin multiplying, and so on.
Much time is spent in and out of class helping students develop an understanding of how and why computational processes work. The goal is for students to develop efficient strategies and to use those strategies in a fluent manner.
At the end of 5th grade, a student should be able to do ten different “types” of computation.
- Column Addition (whole #s & decimals)
- Column Subtraction (whole #s & decimals)
- Multi-digit by single-digit multiplication (whole numbers)
- Multi-digit by multi-digit multiplication (whole numbers)
- Multi-digit by single-digit division (whole numbers)
- Addition of fractions (like & unlike denominators)
- Subtraction of fractions (like & unlike denominators)
- Multiplication of fractions
- Addition of mixed numbers
- Subtraction of mixed numbers
With this goal in mind, the 5th grade teachers have started having their students complete a computation practice page each day. Each practice page is a mixture of problem types that students have already been taught or are currently being taught. It is hoped that through daily practice the students will better retain the knowledge of how to compute the answers to a wide variety of problems and will be able to do so with greater fluency and accuracy.
The practice pages that have already been created can be found at: http://wsdstaff.net/~bludlow/documents/5th/ComputationPractice/
