Building fluency involves more than just speed and accuracy. Our pupils show fluency when they demonstrate flexibility in the methods they choose,understand and can explain these methods, and produce accurate answers efficiently. The methods that a child uses should be based on mathematical ideas that the child understands well, including the structure of the number system, properties of multiplication and division and number facts.
Fluent mathematicians understand why they are doing what they are doing and know when it is appropriate to use different methods.

 How can we support children in becoming fluent?
As with much of mathematics, the key to fluency is in making connections, and making them at the right time in a child's learning.
 
Manipulatives
We learn by moving from the concrete to the abstract and structured apparatus such as Dienes can be helpful for learning about place value or number bonds. However the meaning isn't in the manipulatives themselves - it has to be constructed by children over a period of time, through playing around with them and connecting them directly to mental and recorded calculation.
 
Talking about their work
It is not simply children sharing how they did a particular calculation, but describing why and how it worked, and how their method is the same or different to those of others.  Mathematics does not consist of isolated rules, but connected ideas.

Consolidation in meaningful contexts
By offering children practice in context we help them to make links between the types of situations that a particular strategy might suit.