Looking for an easy-to-implement numeracy program? BlueStreak is here to help.

Numeracy is the talk of the town this school year. States like Illinois and Ohio are emerging as early leaders, with the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) rolling out a Comprehensive Numeracy Plan to address declining math outcomes and Ohio proposing major investments in early math diagnostics, advanced math access, and evidence-aligned instruction in its 2025 budget.

Even nationally, educators are zeroing in on a shared challenge: students’ math confidence and reasoning skills simply aren’t where they need to be for grade-level success. It’s a long-overdue moment for numeracy. The question isn’t whether we should focus on numeracy; it’s how quickly we can scale tools and approaches that actually move the needle.

What exactly is numeracy in math?

Think of it like this: numeracy is to math what literacy is to reading. Put simply, numeracy is the ability to understand and flexibly apply basic mathematical concepts and strategies to solve problems, particularly in everyday life. Depending on who you ask, applying those concepts with confidence may also be included in that definition. 

Numeracy vs. math fluency

These two concepts are distinct but closely related. Math fluency is a key building block of numeracy. In fact, numeracy is built on a foundation of the three types of fluency: fact fluency, conceptual fluency, and procedural fluency. Strategy and flexibility are then layered atop this foundation to allow students to make sense of problems, communicate thinking, and apply math in real-world and academic contexts.

Building numeracy with BlueStreak Math

Does all of this sound familiar? It's a lot like BlueStreak's "Fluency 2.0" approach. And it makes sense; BlueStreak's model for fluency learning was built on the research of leading educators like Jo Boaler, who championed number sense, pairing strategies with automaticity, flexible thinking, and the importance of student confidence... all critical building blocks of numeracy. After all, "true" fluency (like numeracy) only happens when students move beyond rote memorization to apply strategies flexibly and with confidence. 

It’s what makes BlueStreak so much more than just a math fact fluency program and sets its impact apart from other fluency tools. 

How BlueStreak develops numeracy

There’s no doubt about it: math fact practice (speed + efficiency, or automaticity) is a critical building block of numeracy development. But BlueStreak takes these skills to the next level in both its digital solution and corresponding Strategy Log print worktexts by developing conceptual and procedural fluency and other critical skills for numeracy. 
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Here’s how:

• Strengthening conceptual understanding: Strategy Logs and visual pathways help students see why math works, not just how to solve it.
• Pairing automaticity with strategies: BlueStreak Strategy Logs present multiple strategy paths to build flexibility and improve reasoning.
• Expanding fluency beyond whole numbers: Students build numeracy across whole numbers, fractions, and decimals.
• Developing missing number reasoning: BlueStreak introduces missing number practice alongside traditional fact fluency practice to encourage algebraic thinking and encourage student understanding of numerical relationships early. 
• Encouraging reflection and goal setting: Print worktexts include “Reflect + Learn” metacognition activities that prompt students to think about how they solved problems, recognize patterns in their strategy use, and set targets for improvement.
• Building confidence through engagement and a deliberate practice model: Confidence is essential for numeracy because numeracy isn’t just about knowing math — it’s about using math flexibly, strategically, and in unfamiliar situations. BlueStreak’s unique combination of student-centered, game-based learning and just-right challenging practice reduces math anxiety and builds confidence to unlock new levels of numeracy. 

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But this numeracy development doesn’t just happen at grade level or Tier 1. BlueStreak is differentiated and module-based rather than grade-based to identify gaps in students’ foundational fluency that may be holding them back from further numeracy development.

It’s also built to be accessible, equitable (with all content available in both English and Spanish!), and easy to apply in Tiers II and III, so all students—from language learners to special education to struggling readers—have equal opportunity to grow. 

Ready to get started?

What this means for existing BlueStreak users

If you’re already a part of the BlueStreak galaxy, here are a few tips to make sure you’re getting the most numeracy development from your BlueStreak licenses this school year: 

• Practice fluency with fidelity, aiming for 15 minutes of BlueStreak per day, or at least 60 minutes per week. 
• Use BlueStreak's Intervention Grouping Tool together with our pencil-to-paper Strategy Log worktexts to reinforce key strategies and develop flexibility. 
• Set up contests and print and display students' mastery certificates to sustain engagement and make numeracy-building part of your classroom culture.
• Use the Custom Progress Monitoring Assessment builder to track growth in fact fluency, strategy use, and numeracy-aligned skills. Create short, targeted assessments that reflect the exact strategies or number ranges your students are working on, and use the results to guide intervention groups or reteach moments.
• Let us help! Schedule a consultative session with our team to review your data and discuss strategies to increase growth and close learning gaps with BlueStreak. 

Now is the time to prioritize numeracy. BlueStreak makes it easy. 

Illinois and Ohio may be early leaders, but the focus on numeracy is quickly becoming a nationwide movement… and for good reason. When students develop strong numeracy skills, everything else in mathematics becomes more accessible. No matter where your district is located, now is the time to invest in tools that help students think flexibly, reason deeply, and build confidence with numbers.

BlueStreak is uniquely positioned for this moment. With a strategy-first design, built-in metacognition, and powerful tools for practice and progress monitoring, it gives districts a ready-made, research-aligned path to building numeracy across Tiers I–III.

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