Find the Math Fact Family

What You Need:

• Pen
• 20-30 Strips of Paper
• Clock or timer

What You Do:

Step 1: To set up the game, you will write 4 numbers onto each strip of paper. 3 will be part of a fact family, and one will not be part of the fact family. A fact family is 3 numbers that are connected through multiplication and division. For instance, 2, 4 and 8 are a fact family because 2 x 4 = 8, 4 x 2 = 8, 8 ÷ 4 = 2 and 8 ÷ 2 = 4.

Step 2: Explain the concept of the fact family to your child and give several examples, such as 3, 9 and 27. Ask your child to go through the multiplication and division relationships between the example you gave.

2, 3, 6

6, 8, 48

4, 7, 28

5, 8, 40

3, 7, 21

8, 9, 72

Step 3: Explain to your child that they will select a strip of paper with 4 numbers on it. 3 numbers will be part of a fact family and one will not. They will need to tell you which one does not belong and then create a multiplication or division equation using the 3 numbers that are in the fact family. 

Step 4:  Ask your child to start by choosing a strip of paper and trying to identify the number that does not belong.

Step 5:  Once they have done one for practice, set a timer for 2 minutes and tell them to go through as many as they can in 2 minutes.

Step 6: After 2 minutes have passed, count the number of strips they completed. Now you can challenge your learner to try to beat their record and complete even more strips in 2 minutes this time. Play several rounds and see whether they are able to improve.

It may be beneficial to return to the game several days later to see whether your child can get an even better time. Another version of this game is to compete against someone else. Show the strip of paper to two people at the same time, and the first person to call out the number that isn’t part of the fact family wins that strip and earns one point. The person with the most points at the end of the game wins.