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Math Skill Builders Progress

Learn arithmetic skills by progressing through the Math Skill Builders series. Use the worksheets at MathSkillBuilder.com to:

  1. Master basic arithmetic facts
  2. Progress through the skill levels in each operation
  3. Progress through the operations
  4. Progress through the problem types

Master basic arithmetic facts
Before students can successfully progress through the Math Skill Builders skill levels, and learn to solve the addition, subtraction, multiplication and division problems, they need to know basic number facts. To use Supplementary worksheets to determine if students know their basic facts and to give students practice using facts:

  1. Choose Whole Numbers
  2. Choose Facts
  3. Choose the Facts matrices, tables, or worksheets to help students learn facts before proceeding through the Math Skill Builders skill levels.

Progress through the skill levels in each operation
Progress by introducing higher skill levels when each skill level is mastered. Start by identifying the student's starting skill level and gradually increase the difficulty level of problems until the student is successful solving problems at all skill levels in the operation and problem type selected. To do this:

  1. Use Diagnosis to help identify the student's current skill level. The target skill level is usually one skill level higher than the current skill level. (If students are just starting to learn basic arithmetic skills, the target skill level is probably Addition Level 1 in Whole Numbers).
  2. Give Instruction at the target skill level to make sure that the student understands the concept introduced with the new skill level. Use the Supplementary worksheets available at each problem type to help teach some of the new concepts.
  3. Give the students worksheets to Practice at the target skill level.
  4. Increase or decrease the target skill level based on the results of instruction and practice.
    • Increase the target skill level when the student demonstrates competence by solving a target percentage of problems correctly at a skill level. For example, if a student scored 80% correct on a Practice worksheet, then the student's skill level should be raised.
    • Decrease the target skill level if the student demostrates frustration, by solving less than a certain percentage of problems correctly at a skill level. For example, if a student cannot solve more than 20% of the problems at a target skill level, then the target skill level should be lowered.
    If students have difficulty solving problems at the target skill level, this indicates that the student is having difficulty with that particular skill, and should either receive additional instruction before more worksheets with that skill level are assigned, or worksheets should be assigned at some earlier skill level to determine the student's actual competency level. Assign problems from a lower level until the level is reached where a student displays competence. The target skill level will be one skill level higher that the level at which the student is competent. Provide Instruction and Practice at that target skill level and raise the target skill level when the student demonstrates competence.
  5. Repeat the cycle of instruction and practice at the target skill level, and raising or lowering the target skill level based on the competency demonstrated, to progress through all skill levels.

When the student has demonstrated competence at the highest skill level, that student is considered competent in that operation in the selected problem type.

Progress through the operations
The usual progression through the operations is starting with addition, and proceeding to subtraction, multiplication and division. Students can be working on progressing through the skill levels of more than one operation. For example, after the student has completed several of the lower level addition skills, start with the lowest level subtraction skills.

Progress through the problem types
Students can work on more than one problem type at a time. It is usually a good idea to master some basic Whole Number arithmetic skills before progressing to Decimals and Fractions. When a student has completed all operations in a problem type, or while a student is completing the most difficult skill levels and operations in a problem type, start progressing through a new problem type.

In each of the problem types use the supplementary worksheet pages for practice in skills that are necessary to be able to progress through the skill levels. For example, if the student has difficulty with number facts, use the supplementary facts pages.