Implementing an Effective Mathematics Fact Fluency Practice Activity

Mathematics proficiency for students with disabilities continues to challenge students and educators. Struggles in mathematics occurs early and often for many students with disabilities. One particularly problematic area is mathematical fluency. Fluency involves the ability to recall accurate answers quickly and supports students’ ability to preserve the larger meaning when solving multi-step problems. When students lack fluency and must use counting or other strategies, their work is slower and more prone to errors. Fluency with single-digit arithmetic facts is an often-identified weakness for students with disabilities. Given the renewed emphasis on arithmetic fluency in state standards, special education teachers are seeking guidance on the most effective and efficient forms of fluency practice for students with disabilities. We provide specific information and guidelines to assist special education teachers in their efforts to develop evidence-based practice activities to facilitate computational fluency.