Frequently Asked Questions - How MAMŠ Works

What is Math-a-Minute (MAMŠ)?
How does MAMŠ impact student scores?
Does research support MAMŠ?
What are the advantages of MAMŠ?
What process and materials are used?
Do all grade levels work at the same speed on quizzes?
What other alternatives are there for upper grades?
What about the first year when students lack the skills?
How do the placement tests place students in the program?
What role do ed assistants/volunteers/student aides play?
Who tracks progress, award certificates, home contacts?
What are parents told about MAMŠ homework assignments?
What are the costs for a building to adopt MAMŠ?

What assistance is available if we try MAMŠ?

What is Math-a-Minute (MAMŠ)?

Math-a-Minute (MAMŠ) is a progressive basic math facts instructional program designed to individualize the instruction of math facts, to reduce math facts instruction to less than five minutes of classroom instructional time daily, and to provide more time for teaching the higher order skills in math. After completion of each section of the program, students will be able to complete 100 problems with over 95% accuracy in grades 2nd through 4th within five minutes and in grades 5th through 8th within three minutes.

How does MAMŠ impact student scores?

MAMŠ has appeared to improve scores on state and local tests in classes where it has been implemented, though quantitative research is not yet available. Computational skills have increased dramatically with other skills in math having less dramatic increases, but significant increases nevertheless.

Local Levels Tests: The 1999-2000 implementation at Edison Elementary in Centralia, Washington, showed the number of students meeting expected standards increased from 45% when tested at the end of 2nd grade to 73% of all Edison 3rd graders meeting the standard when tested at the end of 3rd grade.

ITBS Test: In just one year at Edison (1999-2000), there was a 20-point gain in computation scores (to the 71st percentile) and an increase of 11 points in math overall (to the 65th percentile). Though this is comparing two groups, the reading scores between the two groups moved only one point. As much as reading is an overall barometer of intelligence, the dramatic increase in math scores would indicate something changed considerably in the math program. The free and reduced lunch count at Edison is 65%.

At Winlock Miller Elementary in Winlock, WA, where MAMŠ has been in place for eight years, third-grade students in 2000 scored at the 87th percentile in computations on the ITBS with an overall math score at the 83rd percentile. Free and reduced lunch count at Winlock is 55%. The 2003 ITBS test shows Winlock students in total math at the 89th percentile.

Hillside Elementary in the Clover Park School District in Washington reported a jump in ITBS math computation scores from the 39th percentile to the 66th in one year. Kennydale Elementary in Renton, Washington, reported a 15 percentile point increase in math ITBS scores in a year.

Washington Assessment of Student Learning (WASL): The Winlock School District has reported a change on the WASL from 7.1% passing the math section of the test in 1997 when MAM began to over 60% passing the test in each of the last three years with as many as 76.9% passing in 2002. Edison Elementary reports a change from 28.9% of their students passing the test in 2000 to 62.5% passing in 2003 (the test is given in 4th grade and these results are rerostered after the test by the K-3 primary the students attended in Centralia.)

In the Clover Park School District in Clover Park, Washington, Hillside Elementary reports "Our WASL math scores have jumped 28.7% over the past three years, most of that after the addition of MAM." The North River School District in Washington, albeit a very small school district, states: "We have employed MAM at all grade levels and math scores have moved across the board. Every 4th grader passed the WASL this year."

Building	Building Average	District Average
La Camas Elementary	83.8%	72.%
Hillside Elementary	42%	35.4%
Serene Lake Elementary	75.5%	55.4%
Gildo Rey Elementary	75%	52.1%
Hazelwood Elementary	58.2%	52.1%

Caution on looking at assessments: The reporting of these scores is not research validated. The scores above do show increases where MAM is being used and other scores show schools using MAM are ahead of their district averages in math. The caution is that a formal research study has yet to be done. Most of the above schools are making considerable changes in their math instruction and program and they have chosen MAM as part of that change as a supplement to current curriculum.

Schools using Everyday Math, Trailblazers, and Success for All Math, among others, report MAM is an excellent supplement to these programs and it is when it is used in conjunction with otherwise good math curriculum and instruction that scores are impacted. An informal check of schools using MAM in larger districts with a number of elementary schools and where the curriculum is the same between buildings shows that those schools also using MAM are beating the district averages on the state assessments and sometimes substantially so.

Does research support Math-a-Minute?

MAMŠ has been recognized by the Washington State Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development. Research in the March 2000 OSPI document, "Teaching and Learning Mathematics: Using Research to Shift From the 'Yesterday' Mind to the 'Tomorrow' Mind", shows that MAMŠ is closely in line with current research on teaching the facts, stating:

Davis (1978) produced these guiding principles for using drill of number facts in a productive manner:

Students should not try to memorize a number fact that they do not understand (e.g. rote recall that 2+3=5 versus being able to show why 2 added to 3 is 5).
Students should participate in drills knowing that the goal is to memorize facts that they understand.
Teachers need to emphasize remembering (not explaining) during drill sessions.
Teachers need to keep drill sessions brief yet include them on a daily basis.
Students should focus on only a few facts at a time, while also reviewing previously memorized facts.
Teachers need to express confidence in each student's ability to memorize all the number facts.
Students should receive immediate feedback.
Teachers need to stress that the two key aspects of facts recall are accuracy and speed.
Teachers need to vary drill activities and be enthusiastic during the activity.
Teachers need to praise students on their progress in memorizing facts, keeping a record of their individual progress (i.e., self-improvement, not competition against others or an artificial barrier).

MAMŠ addresses many of the research points above. It's highly repetitive and it's progressive with only a few facts to be mastered at a time. There is constant review - daily practice with accuracy and speed are the key components. It takes less than five minutes in each class each day, and it gives feedback and a new target each day. While competition can develop, the focus is individualized self-improvement and self-challenge.

What are the advantages of MAMŠ?

There is more time for teaching higher order thinking skills in math. MAMŠ provides a method to move greater responsibility for teaching math facts from the classroom to parents and students. The time typically taken to teach math facts is lessened considerably, allowing more time for higher order thinking in math. It allows for total individualization of instruction in the facts with regular practice to take place at home. MAMŠ takes less than two minutes of class time in the morning for a quiz taken by each student and less than three minutes to return the quizzes later in the day (students placing their stickers in their books is where this time is used).

MAMŠ builds confidence. Students know the math facts are basic, and when they have mastered them, they spend less time puzzling over the basic facts when working on higher skills in math. Whether working on basic computational processes or working on higher order skills in math, students who have already mastered the facts are not distracted by frustration with the facts. Students without the facts mastered are often frustrated as they work on higher order skills. It impacts their views of themselves. A student not knowing the facts is often viewed as a sign of lacking intelligence and this in turn takes a toll on his or her will to tackle higher order thinking math.

Parents become very supportive. After MAMŠ is fully explained and implemented, parents strongly support the program. Knowing math facts is a fundamental skill that all parents recognize their children need. It's a program that is easy for them to understand and know they are genuinely helping their child correctly in its instruction. Parents get a clear picture of the goals and are supportive of teaching the basics. A survey of Edison Elementary parents showed overwhelming support.

What process and materials are used?

Daily quizzes. Each day, students in the program take one 15-problem quiz. If they get 100% right, it gets returned with an example of the next day's quiz. If the student misses any problems, the quiz is returned with corrections to take home to study - the student takes a new quiz at the same level the next day. There are five different quizzes written for each math fact and each review quiz. For example, for +4 there are five different quizzes. Students who miss any problems get a corrected quiz back. The student will have only a 20% chance of getting the very same quiz the next day.

Progressive growth. The program includes 48 quizzes in addition and subtraction, 48 quizzes in multiplication and division, and ten review quizzes. Each quiz has 15 problems. The quizzes develop progressively from easy to hard with every other quiz a review of the previous three quizzes. For example, the first three quizzes are the facts for +0, then the facts for +1, and then +2. After that, the next quiz is +0, +1, and +2 facts all mixed up together. The next quiz is +3, then after it +1, +2, and +3 all mixed up together. The next is + 4. After that is +2, +3, and +4 mixed up. The quizzes continue this progression until the 10s are mastered.

The same pattern is followed for subtraction, multiplication, and division. The only other quizzes are review, four for addition, four for addition and subtraction mixed, four for multiplication, and four for multiplication and division mixed. Placement tests determine where students begin.

Speed and accuracy, grades 1st to 8th. The program begins in 1st grade and can go through 8th grade. Thorough understanding of the addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division algorithms needs to be covered before students begin each of these sections. Higher grades begin MAMŠ within the first couple of weeks, however, first graders don't begin until November after they've had a chance to solidify their understanding of how addition works.

The algorithms are reviewed before beginning. As students in a class get to the next algorithm, the concept is taught to the whole class and regular algorithm instruction continues throughout the year. MAMŠ is used to create speed and accuracy in the facts, but teaching the algorithms and other computational skills need to be done by the teacher and reinforced by parents throughout the year.

Daily Fact Quiz Pages. Each page of daily fact quizzes includes five different quizzes for each level of math facts. For example, the +0 page has five different quizzes with +0 facts on it, the +1 page has five quizzes for +1, the x4,5,6 page has five quizzes for x4,5,6 on it, etc. After printing or copying, each page is to be cut into five different quizzes.

To print your Math Fact Quiz pages in mass, open your Math-a-Minute CD, open file 3) Math Fact Quiz Pages, then follow the directions in the Printing Instructions file.

If school staff choose to have facts sheets that include 11s and 12s, the pages for multiplication and division can be opened one at a time, 11s and 12s can be substituted in, a master can be printed, and the file can then be renamed and saved to a disk before making the copies.

Do all grade levels work at the same speed on quizzes?

Speed adjusted for age. Students in first grade are given 90 seconds to complete the 15-problem quiz, students in 2nd through 4th are given one minute for the quiz, and students in grades 5th through 8th may be given only 30 seconds to complete the quiz. After students have had the program in place a couple of years and skills in earlier grades are well developed, schools may want to switch 4th graders to 30-second quizzes. Whether you choose 4th, 5th, or 6th to switch to 30-second quizzes is a local call, but at some point they need the greater speed. The key is to monitor success of 3rd graders. Are they coming into 4th with substantial mastery of the facts with one-minute quizzes?

What other alternatives are there for upper grades?

Different quizzes and fast tracks for older students. For students in 3rd grade and higher, the MAM program can be altered based on student skills. For the first year, it might be best to have 3rd grade students (and maybe 4th grade students) do all the addition and subtraction quizzes, but after the first year, 3rd graders can do half the addition and subtraction quizzes by doing a fast track program. The fast track deletes the triple digit quizzes (the track goes +0, then +1, +2, +3, +4, +5, etc.). Students will have only 26 quizzes in addition and subtraction before students get to multiplication.

While not as thorough as the complete program, the single digit quizzes fast track in addition and subtraction in 3rd grade gets students who haven't passed the placement tests moving into multiplication and division faster because of the fewer quizzes. Booklets and record sheets are prepared on the CD for the fast track. In 4th or 5th grade (and at least by 6th grade), addition and subtraction can be dropped altogether. Some schools drop addition and subtraction beginning in 3rd grade too, emphasizing 1st and 2nd grade as the time to learn these facts. (Students still struggling in addition and subtraction facts after 3rd grade may be in need of remedial or special ed support.) There are booklets and record sheets for students in upper grades doing just multiplication and division.

Less time for intermediate students. Again depending on your assessment of student skills, older students should have the time allotted for taking the quiz reduced to 30 seconds. By 6th grade at the latest, students should have 30-second quizzes. As stated above, they should also be doing only the multiplication and division quizzes by 6th grade. The 30-second quizzes should continue into 7th and 8th grade. They provide skills equivalent to 100 problems in 3 minutes, a pretty good standard. Wherever the switch to 30-second quizzes is made, placement tests also need to be shortened from 2 minutes to 1 minute.

What about the first year when students lack the skills?

During the first year of implementation, it might be advisable to give all the quizzes in addition and subtraction to 3rd graders as well as 1st and 2nd, though staff in each building will have to decide. The students may be slower the first year when it comes to getting to the multiplication and division quizzes if all subtraction and addition quizzes are used, but many will need the work. Those who don't need the work will pass the placement tests and begin at a higher level.

After the first year, students overall at 3rd will know their addition and subtraction facts well, and the shorter version of the program (i.e. dropping to only 26 quizzes in addition and subtraction or dropping addition and subtraction altogether) will aid faster movement. Beginning in 4th grade, addition and subtraction should be dropped, especially after the first year.

How do the placement tests place students in the program?

Yearly placement tests. At the beginning of each year, students are given placement tests to determine where they begin in the program. There are four placement tests for addition and subtraction and four placement tests for multiplication and division with 30 problems each. The placement tests cover +0 through +5, +6 through +10, -0 through -5, and -6 through -10 with the same pattern for multiplication and division. The students in 1st through 4th have two minutes and the students in grades 5th through 8th have one minute for each placement test, staying comparable with the speed allotted on the quizzes. (If you later switch fourth graders to 30-second quizzes, they should also start having one-minute placement tests.)

Placement test standard. If a student gets 85% (no more than 4 wrong) or better on a +0 through +5 placement test, they move on to the next one at +6 through +10. If they pass that, they move on to subtraction (-0 through -5, then -6 through -10), then multiplication, and so on through division. Where they first fail to reach 85% is where they begin. If a student doesn't pass the first one, for example, they begin at +0. If the first one failed is multiplication at x6 through x10, they begin at x6.

What role do educational assistants/ volunteers/ student aides play?

Assistants and volunteers do the work. After placement tests have been done and students placed at their level in the program, a class begins taking the quizzes the first of the day. The quizzes are brought to the teacher the previous day by the educational assistants who have written students' names on the quizzes they are to take that day. After the test, the quizzes are gathered by the teacher and picked up by educational assistants or parent volunteers who correct them. Typically, assistants receive their own class assignments and work with those classes all year.

While it is best if the district has the resources to have classified staff provide the management of the program including staff to correct quizzes in conjunction with volunteers, some schools provide only enough time for a program manager to set up at the beginning of the year, complete the placement testing, and keep files filled with quizzes and certificates during the year. Some schools have had older students have a service time during which they correct quizzes. Other schools have found work-study students from local colleges. (The college financial aid office can help arrange this.) Where resources are limited, schools should focus first on 2nd, 3rd, and 4th grades.

Some schools encourage each teacher to find one parent volunteer for each classroom. Most grade school teachers can find at least one parent or a combination of parents to provide regular daily support for their classroom and they can direct at least 15 minutes of their time to MAM.

Some teachers have found 15 minutes in their own day to correct and record the quizzes, sometimes during Sustained Silent Reading, prep time, or recess time. PTO has made this a special project in one school, making it a high priority for their volunteers. However it is done, the key to effectiveness is having students take the quizzes daily, having them corrected and returned daily with an example of the next day's quiz, providing daily recognition for success via the student booklets and stickers, and encouragement to parents to ensure there is daily practice at home.

Charting progress. After placement tests are done and students are placed, the staff or parents doing the corrections have charts for each class where they record the date that each student completes a quiz with 100% accuracy. If a student makes a mistake, the educational assistant writes in the correct answer. If a student gets them all right, the assistant attaches a sample of the next day's quiz. At the same time, the next day's quizzes are selected with the students' names written on the back.

Student names can either be handwritten on the printed record forms or keyed in before printing. Each record form has a column that corresponds to the math quizzes. For each box, enter the date in which the student passed that particular quiz (i.e., 11/5 for November 5th). This entry tells the assistant that the quiz was passed, shows the next quiz and notes the date so calls can be made or cards mailed when a student fails to make significant progress. Students need to pass one quiz every three days if they are to complete the program within the school-year timeframe.

Stickers and booklets. When quizzes are returned, students with 100% get a sticker to place in their MAMŠ booklet (for older students, a booklet might not be used). The booklets have a square for each of the quizzes a student takes. They will fill the book as the year goes along. It's advised that the assistants correcting the quizzes put the sticker in the envelope for those who deserve them and that the teacher passes them out. Letting students pick their stickers will create lots of lost time.

Aide/Teacher communication. The assistants or parents who correct the quizzes use envelopes to pick up and deliver the quizzes to classes leaving it to the teacher when to pass them out. The corrected quizzes and examples of new quizzes are in the envelope to pass out, along with the stickers and a set of quizzes with students name on the back to be given the next day.

Time allotment to aides to complete the corrections. Time needed by parents and ed assistants to correct the quizzes, do the tracking, prepare certificates, and prepare letters home or call lists amount to approximately one hour daily for each four classes in the program, depending on class size. In other words, it takes 15 minutes per class each day.

Who tracks progress, award certificates, home contacts?

Tracking the successful quizzes is critical work and tracking the date each quiz is passed by each student is an important task of the assistants or parents correcting the quizzes. This is important so award certificates can be passed out at particular thresholds along the student's progress and so letters can be sent or calls made for those failing to progress.

Recognition frequency. In first grade, students typically receive award certificates for every three or four quizzes passed and 2nd and 3rd graders receive a certificate for every five quizzes passed. Teachers at higher grade levels can decide what reward frequency is best for their students and what rewards to use but it is advisable to recognize that students enjoy the rewards, even those older students who may profess to not care while in front of their peers. For older students, group and team rewards for overall class progress may also be awarded to incorporate peer support, peer encouragement, and peer tutoring.

What are parents told about MAMŠ homework assignments?

MAMŠ is nightly homework. Parents and students are told that MAMŠ is daily homework, that their children will bring home MAMŠ quizzes everyday. Ten to fifteen minutes of study is a standard expectation. Dates when students pass quizzes are recorded so that students' parents can be contacted if progress is not made in a satisfactory manner. Typically, parents receive a call or letter after a student goes three days without passing a quiz. The letter just informs parents of the program, explains how it works, and explains the expectations of the program. Calls are most effective.

Follow-up calls. The second time a student misses a quiz three days in a row, a post card is sent to remind parents to work with their child. The assistant or parents who correct the quizzes prepare a list for the cards. Usually, a letter, and then a call, and/or a card are the most that is required to get students and parents on task.

Some students with unusual problems who can't maintain regular progress or who may not have family support may need extra help worked into their day. It's important to emphasize to parents that learning math facts is a very individualized learning process and that each student progresses at their own rate. Parent support is crucial to regular progress.

What are the costs for a building to adopt MAMŠ?

Cost of the program. The cost of purchasing the program is $450 for a CD containing all the masters for the materials needed. A computer is needed only for printing the masters but otherwise computers are not needed to run the program. We also suggest for a good implementation of the program, contracting with one of our classified staff for inservicing the person chosen to run MAM. MAM can appear very complicated but in fact it becomes somewhat rote after staff have worked through it. Our staff can assist in making the transition in explaining the program and helping set up all files needed.

Resources needed. The resources schools need to provide include adults to correct the quizzes at the equivalent of one hour each day for each four classes using the program. The program will seem overwhelming at first, but staff or parents running the program, after getting the nuances down, will find it becomes a matter of routine. PTA often finds this a worthwhile project and targets it for volunteers. Other costs involve postage, printing of the quizzes, printing of the booklets, and the stickers given as rewards for the booklets.

What assistance can be provided if we try MAMŠ?

If there are any questions, feel free to call Neal Kirby at home 360-330-1392 in the evening, or email him at neal_kirby@comcast.net.

You can contract with Linda Hillstrom to instruct your staff on use of the program. Her one-day fee includes half-day work with your staff and up to four hours of phone consultations as your staff implements the program as questions arise. As MAMŠ appears overwhelming to begin with and it takes time before it becomes an imbedded routine process, Hillstrom's services are advisable. Hillstrom is very good at using the program and is very reassuring and supportive.