Common Core Standards: Do Kids Need to Learn Math Facts?

Image courtesy of Melinda Kolk
Math facts! Some kids love 'em, most hate 'em! But one thing is for sure. Success with these facts will help to insure success in future mathematics studies.

Back in the "olden days" teachers and parents used to drill kids in their number facts. This idea fell out of favor in the late 1980s and 1990s in favor of a more concept-oriented approach. Some of us still expected mastery of those facts, but with the advent of calculators and computers, proficiency in math...