Emphasizing Thinking Strategies in Basic Fact Instruction

Abstract

Experimental and traditional groups at both the second- and the fourth-grade level participated in eight weeks of instruction in basic facts. Pretest, posttest, and retention measures were taken, and follow-up interviews were conducted. Group means on total test performance and on the number of harder facts correctly answered each time were examined in a repeated-measures ANOVA. Significant (p<.001p<.001) group × test performance interactions were found in each case. Post hoc Scheffe analyses indicated (except for the traditional group in subtraction) that learning increments due to instruction were significant across groups. An examination by t-test of differences between groups generally favored the experimental groups. Interview data suggested that children did use strategies they had been taught to help memorize the facts.