Math Fact Automaticity: Students Can’t Think Deeply If They’re Still Counting

Presented by Dr. Brian Poncy, Professor and Director for the School Psychology Program, Oklahoma State University; Susan Baker, Director, Mathematics, Fulton County Schools (GA); and Sean Healey, NSSI Mentor Teacher, Director of Schools, KIPP SoCal This edWeb podcast is sponsored by The National Summer School Initiative (NSSI). The edLeader Panel recording can be accessed here. Districts have invested heavily in stronger math curricula and instruction. Yet student math outcomes remain stubbornly low. What are we missing? One overlooked piece may be fact automaticity. When students must devote significant mental effort to basic calculations, they have less capacity available for the complex reasoning and problem solving we expect in grade-level mathematics. And while conceptual understanding matters deeply, understanding a strategy is not the end goal—students must ultimately be able to access foundational knowledge accurately and efficiently when they need it. In this edWeb podcast, listen to NSSI, leading researcher Dr. Brian Poncy, and district mathematics leader Susan Baker in a conversation about what the research tells us about automaticity, where common approaches to fact fluency may fall short, and what district leaders can do differently. Whether you're shaping curricula, leading instructional improvement, or making district-level investment decisions, gain a clearer understanding of why automaticity matters, practical routines and tools you can put to work right away, and a simple way to tell whether your own system is building the foundations students need. This edWeb podcast is of interest to elementary through high school teachers, school leaders, and district leaders. Learn more about viewing live edWeb presentations and on-demand recordings, earning CE certificates, and using accessibility features.