KIRFs (Key Instant Recall Facts) are designed to support the development of the mental fluency skills that underpin much of the mathematics curriculum. They are particularly useful when calculating, be it adding, subtracting, multiplying or dividing.
Each year group is allocated up to six facts to focus on throughout the year, in line with the National Curriculum and age-related expectations. These will be developed in school but it is important that they are also practised each week, possibly in smaller, regular bursts, at home, to ensure that the KIRF is practiced and learnt so that children grow in confidence to recall their facts instantly.
Instant recall of facts helps enormously with mental agility in mathematics; when children move onto written calculations and abstract methods, knowing these key facts is crucial. For children to become more efficient in recalling them easily, they need to be practised frequently and in short bursts.
