What do “Difficulty Levels” mean when I assign a Program to students?
What do “Difficulty Levels” mean when I assign a Program to students?
In XtraMath, difficulty level refers to the problem set assigned to a student. The problem set determines which math facts a student practices within each operation (addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division). XtraMath currently offers three problem set options: Beginning, Regular, and Expanded.
Beginning
Designed to build foundational understanding and confidence.
Early learners focus on developing foundational skills in addition and subtraction. The "Beginning" problem set level introduces facts that sum up to 10.
- Addition & Subtraction: Sums up to 10 and their inverse facts
- Multiplication: Starts with 0s, 1s, and 2s, then gradually introduces facts up to 9s
- Division: Begins with division by 1 and 2, then expands to simple division facts up to 9s, reinforcing multiplication as the inverse operation
💡 Teacher Tip: We recommend combining this difficulty level with the 12-second fluency threshold because it allows young students to practice without pressure, ensuring they have enough time to process number relationships, learn, and recall basic facts. This extended response time is particularly helpful as they develop number sense, processing speed, and fine motor skills for entering answers.
Regular
Focuses on building automatic recall of standard math facts.
- Covers all facts up to 9s across all operations
💡Teacher Tip: We recommend combining this level with the 6-second fluency threshold to start, as it encourages students to recall facts more quickly, moving beyond counting strategies and developing fluency. Once students have finished this level at the 6-second threshold, we encourage teachers to have students practice the same operations with the 3-second threshold to build true fluency, preparation for early multiplication.
Expanded
Students master all basic math facts in addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division including fact families and extended problem sets—up to 12s. Designed for those students seeking greater challenge, this level strengthens automatic recall across all operations, supporting higher-order thinking, multi-step problem-solving, and real-world math applications.
💡 Teacher Tip: Challenge students with strong fluency to explain their reasoning about fact families and transfer their skills to complex, multi-step, or authentic real-world math situations.