How Can I Help My Child Do Better on Math Fact Tests?

Today we are talking about how your child is assessed on their math facts: This can be anything from division all the way down to addition, so it covers several grade levels. What will happen most of the time is your child’s teacher will give a little quiz. It may be once a week (you may have more time in between there) just to make sure that your child is on track with learning these facts. We know that knowing math facts will lay a great foundation in math for the future.

What YOU want to know is: What does this quiz/test look like? Can you prepare your child for it by taking away a little of the anxiety (and get a good grade in the meantime)? I’m going to share with you a few questions you can ask your child’s teacher early on in the school year before it gets to report card time. Then, you can set your game plan from there.

When you’re practicing with your child at home, you want to know what the test looks like at school.

Will the test be on the computer at school?

If so, there are some web pages that you can go to do online math fact quizzes that will time you and best prepare your child for that type of setting.

Will the test be a written test?

A few of the written tests I have used in the past. Here is one that has 50 questions ( on a half sheet of paper).

How many questions will be on the quiz?

When you practice at home, you want to have that same amount and try to mimic the day of the quiz as much as possible. Some written tests have 50 problems, but some may have as few as 10.

Will there be review facts mixed in or just a particular set of facts?

For example, if your child has been practicing +3s facts, there might be +1, +2, and +0 facts mixed in as well.

Will the facts be written vertically or horizontally?

Sometimes, seeing the problems in another layout can really trip up some students. Knowing how the quiz might look can better help your child to avoid that anxiety.

Will the test be timed?

If so, practice with a timer. Record a score of the number correct in that time limit and work to build on that over time, getting better and better.

Can the quiz/test be retaken?

If a child is timed and their nerves get the best of them (or they had a tough week), will they be able to try again next week?

All of these ideas put together do not have to be implemented each homework night. It might just be once a week or a few times before the day the child is tested. Trust me! It’s just like training for anything else. Your child is going to walk in with a lot more confidence knowing they’re seeing something that looks familiar in front of them on the day of the quiz. They will feel so proud that they worked on it to reach that goal, and you can have something to be proud of too!

Please leave your comments and questions. I’d love to know how you’ve prepared your child for fact quizzes. How did your child’s teacher assess facts?