What does it really mean for students to be fluent with addition and subtraction? Fluency is more than speed, recall, or memorization of procedures. True mathematical fluency develops when students can select strategies that are flexible, efficient, accurate, and appropriate for a given situation. It empowers students to reason about numbers, recognize relationships, and solve problems with confidence.
In this engaging and interactive workshop, participants will explore research-based approaches to developing fluency with addition and subtraction through the lens of Developing Fluency: Addition and Subtraction with Whole Numbers by John SanGiovanni and Jennifer Bay-Williams. Educators will examine how computational fluency develops over time through meaningful experiences that strengthen number sense, reasoning, and understanding of place value and number relationships. Participants will learn how to create learning environments where students make sense of mathematics, communicate their reasoning, and build confidence as mathematical thinkers and problem solvers.
Through hands-on learning, collaborative discussions, and analysis of student thinking, participants will discover how to create equitable opportunities for all learners to develop fluency through reasoning, strategy use, and sense-making. Teachers will leave with practical instructional tools and resources that support students in becoming skilled, confident mathematical thinkers and doers. Plus, you will receive a copy of the book!
Learning Objectives
By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to:
• Define procedural fluency as the integration of flexibility, efficiency, accuracy, and appropriate strategy selection.
• Explore developmental progressions for addition and subtraction strategies across Grades K–5 and understand how these strategies emerge from students' growing number sense and understanding of place value.
• Analyze student thinking to identify strengths, misconceptions, and opportunities for advancing computational fluency.