Mental Math Strategies to Help Kids Get Better at Math
Many children find it challenging to understand the concepts of math. Mental math ideas may be easier for some kids to learn intuitively than others, though. That’s where you as a parent come into play. To help children succeed in mathematics, parents can offer a variety of strategies to help their young children practice and develop their mathematical abilities. Continue reading for an overview of mental math strategy and useful tips on how to teach your children math.
What is Mental Health?
Mental math is a set of abilities that enable people to perform calculations “in their heads” without the need of paper and pencil or a calculator. Recalling a simple math information, such as 8 x 5 = 40, is one of these abilities. Rounding numbers and estimating calculations are additional abilities that are included in mental math.
Kids who use mental math strategies can also better understand mathematical ideas. Children’s number sense can be developed by regularly using and practicing mental math. There are also additional uses for mental math. It prevents forgetting math facts. Faster connection to the answer is another benefit.
Strong memory skills are necessary for mental math. The long-term memory must be engaged in order to recall math facts and other number ideas. Working memory is another skill that our brains use to keep track of the steps required to complete a given math problem.
What If Kids Struggle With Mental Math?
Mental math difficulties in children don’t necessarily indicate a lack of intelligence. Math proficiency in children develops at their own rate. If you are having trouble with mental math, you may need additional time and practice to “catch up.”
Challenges with mental math may also indicate that your child requires additional support to improve in mathematics. As a parent, you can learn how to assist children who are having math difficulties through different resources available on the internet for strategies for mental math. Let’s take a look at some helpful tips and suggestions to help students improve their mathematical skills.
Various Strategies to Teach Mental Math to Kids
Ever wondered what mental math strategies are? Tips and tricks to help children improve their mental math skills are known as mental math strategies. Here are some tips and techniques that you can try to improve your child’s mathematical skills:
1. Start by counting.
Math education starts with counting. Apparently, you may begin teaching your child the basics of counting and other basic math concepts at a very young age.
2. Make use of images
Images are useful teaching aids for math to kids. Concepts can be made simpler for children who are just starting to learn how to count by using visual aids and visuals.
3. Make flash cards
When teaching children math, flashcards are a useful teaching tool. They offer a hands-on learning opportunity and are simple to make at home using supplies you probably already have.
4. Encourage kids to find solutions to problems.
Encourage kids to find solutions to problems. Give them help, but allow them to resolve it on their own. A lifetime skill is problem solving.
5. Make use of common items
Using common objects makes teaching math to children much simpler. For instance, a ruler is a useful tool for teaching children about measurements, and an egg carton is excellent for using small groupings of things to explain multiplication.
6. Engage in online Math games
Kids can develop an intuitive understanding of math with the aid of online games and mental math strategies worksheets. When students love the process of learning about numbers and arithmetic, they can develop a greater understanding of mathematical ideas. Your kids can play a variety of online games from Trivia Games Online to improve their natural talent for dealing larger numbers.
Mental Math Strategies For Addition
7. Doubles
The doubles are a series of quick-to-learn and simple-to-remember factual data rather than necessarily a strategy. Doubles are everywhere; consider your fingers and toes (5+5), the car’s wheels (2+2), or the number of eggs in a carton (6+6). Students will benefit from developing a solid doubles foundation as they learn the following approach, doubles plus one.
8. Near Doubles
This strategy is a logical development from doubles. It involves building on a given truth by using it. For instance, a student could reason, “I know that 5+5 makes 10, and one more makes 11” to answer the equation 5+6. The best way to model this tactic is with ten frames because it is so clear. And don’t forget, in order for our students to grasp mathematics, we must give them the chance to SEE math!
9. Make a Ten
Make a Ten is a mental math technique in which students connect and relate other knowledge to the number combinations that add up to 10. Students must first understand the sequences of numbers that add up to 10. They can then utilize those combinations with assurance. For instance, a student may think, “I can take two from the five and give it to the eight to make a 10, and then add the leftover three to make thirteen,” when trying to solve the equation 8+5. The best method to demonstrate this technique is with ten frames.
FAQs
Q#1: How can I improve my child’s mental math?
To improve your child’s mental math, you can encourage them to practice regularly and provide them with engaging and interactive math activities. You can also encourage your child to use mental math strategies, such as breaking down larger problems into smaller parts or using visual aids, to solve math problems.
Q#2: What are some mental math strategies?
Some mental math strategies include:
- Breaking down larger problems into smaller parts
- Using visual aids, such as fingers or drawings, to represent math concepts
- Using known math facts and relationships to solve problems
- Estimating to check the reasonableness of an answer
- Using the inverse operation to check the accuracy of an answer
Q#3: Can you improve mental math?
Yes, mental math skills can be improved with practice and the use of mental math strategies. Regularly challenging your child with math problems and encouraging them to think critically and creatively can help them improve their mental math skills.
Q#4: What is the fastest way to calculate mental math?
One of the fastest ways to calculate mental math is by using known math facts and relationships to solve problems. For example, if you want to find the product of 9 and 8, you can quickly recall that 9 x 8 is 72 because 9 x 10 is 90 and 9 x 2 is 18, so 9 x 8 must be in between those two numbers. You can also use mental math strategies, such as breaking down larger problems into smaller parts or using visual aids, to solve problems more quickly.
Conclusion:
Don’t be impatient on how to teach mental math strategies to your kids. Being patient and calm is the most crucial and beneficial technique to teach a child math. You must always encourage and support your child as a parent. It’s not necessary for your child to get better within a day or two. Do not pressurize your children; allow them to take their time. Use one mental math strategy at a time. Slowly but surely, they will improve over time. The only secret is practice and love!
