Dr Brian Poncy, Professor of School Psychology at Oklahoma State University and creator of Facts on Fire, presents compelling evidence from a five-year school study showing that just four minutes of daily fluency practice lifted students from the 32nd to the 85th percentile on state tests. His core argument: accuracy and speed are the foundation, and without fluent critical skills, students cannot access the curriculum no matter how good the teaching.
Bruno Reddy OBE, CEO of Maths Circle Australia and creator of TT Rockstars, which has reached over 18 million children worldwide, brings classroom data from Australian and New Zealand schools showing that accuracy on times tables is the strongest predictor of NAPLAN numeracy results. He explores what comes after times tables, including remainders, estimation, and mental strategies, and tackles the question of psychological safety, offering practical ways to help students and teachers build confidence alongside fluency.
Together, Poncy and Reddy make the case that memorisation is an outcome, not an instructional approach, that fluency must come before application, and that early screening and intervention are essential to closing the gap. Kelly Norris moderates a rich Q&A covering timed practice, policy levers, calculator use, AI, and why numeracy reform has lagged behind the science of reading.