For a long time, parents and teachers have argued about how to teach math. Should kids memorize their times tables? Or should they focus on understanding why math works? A major new study has a simple answer: do both — just in the right order.
At Level Up Math Academy, this is exactly how we help every child who comes to us. Here's what the research says — and how we put it into action.
The Argument That Was Holding Kids Back
People have been arguing for years: is it better for kids to practise math facts until they know them by heart, or is it better to help them understand how math actually works?
The answer, according to new research, is neither one alone. A lead researcher from the University of Notre Dame said it clearly: you don't have to choose between drilling facts and having real math discussions. Doing both together is what actually works.
Math fluency isn't just about quickly saying "6 × 8 = 48." It's also about spotting patterns, understanding how numbers relate to each other, and using that knowledge to solve new problems. Speed and understanding aren't opposites — they help each other grow.
It Starts When Kids Are Very Young
Here's something many parents don't realise: math skills start forming in preschool. Just like learning letter sounds helps kids read, learning to count and play with numbers early on sets the stage for everything that comes later.
Simple things help enormously — counting pieces of cereal, sorting toys into groups, or noticing that three apples and two apples make five apples. These small moments build a child's number sense, which is the foundation everything else is built on.
At Level Up Math Academy, when a student is struggling, we don't just look at what they can't do right now. We look back to find where the understanding first broke down — and we fix it from there. A child who struggles with fractions at age 10 may simply have a gap from earlier years that nobody noticed. We find it and fill it.
Five Steps That the Research Recommends
The researchers laid out a clear, simple roadmap for teaching math well:
- Step 1 — Find the gaps early: Before anything else, find out what the child truly understands and where they get confused. Jumping straight to practice without doing this is like building on a weak foundation.
- Step 2 — Teach smart thinking strategies first: Before asking kids to remember facts, teach them how to think. For example, to work out 9 × 6, a child can think: "10 × 6 = 60, so 9 × 6 is just 6 less — that's 54." These strategies give kids tools they can always fall back on.
- Step 3 — Practise getting it right before going fast: Practising the wrong answer over and over just makes the wrong answer stick. Children should be getting things right consistently before any kind of speed practice begins.
- Step 4 — Add timed practice only once the child is ready: Timed drills can be useful and even fun — but only once a child already understands the material. Starting with speed too early causes stress and confusion. It belongs near the end of the learning process, not the beginning.
- Step 5 — Keep talking about the math: Even when facts are memorised, keep asking "how did you get that?" and "can you show me another way?" Talking through thinking keeps learning strong and flexible.
How Level Up Math Academy Does All of This
We Start by Finding Out Exactly Where Your Child Is
Every child is different. Some kids struggle with times tables because they never fully understood place value. Others can do the steps but have no idea why they work. Before we teach anything, we take the time to understand each child — where they're strong, where they're stuck, and what's getting in the way. There are no tricks or shortcuts in our assessment. We simply get to know your child and their relationship with math.
We Build Understanding Before We Build Speed
At Level Up Math Academy, we never ask a child to go fast before they understand what they're doing. We use real-world examples, drawings, number lines, and hands-on activities to help students see the math first. Once a child truly understands why something works, they remember it far better — and for much longer. A child who understands that 7 × 8 means "7 groups of 8 things" will remember the answer much more reliably than a child who simply chanted it without knowing what it means.
We Make Timed Practice Feel Like a Game
Timed practice has its place — but we use it carefully and only when the time is right. When we do use it, we make it fun. Students race against their own previous scores, not against each other. The goal is always personal progress. This turns something that can feel scary into something kids actually look forward to.
We Always Ask "Why?"
At Level Up Math Academy, math is never silent. Our tutors regularly ask students to explain their thinking out loud — "How did you figure that out?" and "Is there another way to do it?" This habit of explaining and discussing is something the research specifically identifies as essential. It builds the kind of deep, flexible thinking that carries students all the way through high school math and beyond.
We Make Progress Visible and Celebrate Every Step
Many of the children who come to us have already decided they are "just not a math person." That breaks our hearts — and it's simply not true. Part of what we do is help students see how much they're improving, one small step at a time. Every new concept understood, every strategy that clicks, every faster drill time — these are all wins worth celebrating. We make sure students see and feel their own progress. Over time, that changes the way they see themselves as learners.
Why Does This All Matter?
The research makes one thing very clear: strong math skills aren't just about passing tests. They are connected to success in algebra, in higher-level problem solving, and in long-term life outcomes — including career opportunities and financial wellbeing.
The math foundation a child builds in their early years quietly shapes what becomes possible for them later in life. That's a big deal.
At Level Up Math Academy, we don't take that lightly. We're not just helping your child get through next week's homework. We're helping them build skills and confidence that will serve them for years to come.
Let's Get Your Child Started
It doesn't matter if your child is just starting out with numbers or has been falling behind for a while — Level Up Math Academy has a place for them.
The research is clear: every child can get good at math. They just need the right support, at the right pace, in the right order.
We'd love to be that support for your child.
Book a free assessment with Level Up Math Academy today and let's find out exactly where your child's math journey can go from here.