Are flash cards the best way to teach math facts?

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There are many ways to help children learn math facts. Flash cards can be effective if you use them at the right time. Before encouraging your child to answer math facts quickly, it is important to help your child build a conceptual understanding of math facts so that she can transfer her knowledge across contexts. Once she conceptually understands math facts, flash cards can help her improve her math fact fluency (she'll be able to answer math fact questions rapidly) by isolating individual concepts, encouraging her to focus her attention and effort on specific components of complex mathematics problems.

Jennie Ito, Ph.D.

Child Development Expert

Jennie Ito is a mother of two and a child development consultant who specializes in children’s play and toys. Before becoming a consultant for LeapFrog, she was an intern at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC, and later worked as a content expert for the Association of Children’s Museum’s “Playing for Keeps” Play Initiative. Jennie earned her doctorate degree in developmental psychology at Queen’s University in Ontario, Canada.