Students who are fluent in math facts can estimate the answers to more complex calculations without using calculators. For example, a student who knows that 3 x 7 = 21 can conclude that 342 x 70 will be greater than 21,000 simply by rounding the multipliers and doing mental math. This skill is important because it highlights when numbers have been entered wrongly into the calculator. If the calculator answer to the problem is 2,394, the student can quickly realize that a multiplier was entered incorrectly and redo the problem.
Math fact fluency also influences calculation speed. If simple problems consistently elicit slow responses, homework, tests and other calculation activities can take far too long to complete. For a student who completes the basic calculations at half speed (six minutes as opposed to three minutes for the 100 combinations), a 30-minute homework assignment may take an hour or more to finish. Fluent responses to math facts can even be faster than using a calculator for basic facts and shorter problems.
When students are fluent in basic math facts, they can focus on more complex math concepts. Students who are not yet fluent with the basic combinations expend enormous amounts of energy completing simple tasks like simplifying fractions because they simply do not know that 7/42 is the same as 1/6 because 42 divided by 7 is 6. When something like simplifying fractions is so difficult, children have a much harder time learning more complex skills. Math fact fluency forms a strong foundation that supports later learning.
Math fact fluency opens doors to greater understanding of mathematical patterns such as divisibility rules and recognizing progressions. It allows students to progress from rote mastery of basic skills to more global understanding of the ideas of math that make it all possible.
Like many other areas of learning, students gain confidence when they feel they have mastered basic tasks. Math fact fluency is fundamental to later math learning. Students who are able to become fluent with these basic combinations often feel that other tasks will be manageable as well. Much as the foundation of a pyramid holds up the entire structure, confidence with basic skills such as math fact fluency allows students to tackle more complex ideas with faith that they will eventually reach their goals.