Fact Fluency: The Foundation of Math Success 

Featuring Dr. Brian Poncy
 Featuring Dr. Brian Poncy, Professor of School Psychology at Oklahoma State University  

Disagreements over what fluency means and how to best develop it are not just theoretical. These debates impact policy and curriculum decisions and ultimately how children are taught mathematics, and whether they are successful with it.

In this conversation, Amanda VanDerHeyden, Ph.D., sits down with Brian Poncy, Ph.D., Professor of School Psychology at Oklahoma State University, to discuss:

• What fluency is and why it matters
• Effective ways to build fluency and how much practice students need for it to stick
• Why something so foundational has become controversial, and where policy pulls classrooms away from instruction that works

Dr. Poncy will also share the story behind why he developed Facts on Fire, an evidence-based math fluency program, and what teachers can expect when they put it to use.

Join us for a fast-paced conversation that will shed light on why math fact fluency is so critical if we want to improve outcomes.

Up Next in the Series

A Conversation with Dr. Zach Groshell
Educator, Founder of ER Education, and Author of Just Tell Them, The Power of Explanations and Explicit Teaching

January 13, 2027 | 4:00–5:00 p.m. ET

A Conversation with Dr. Anita Archer
Co-Author, Explicit Instruction and Educational Consultant 

February 17, 2027 | 4:00–5:00 p.m. ET

Effective Math Instruction Shouldn't Be Controversial — So Why Is It?

Dr. Anna Stokke 
Mathematics Professor, University of Winnipeg and Adjunct Professor, School of Education, La Trobe University