It can be enjoyable and fulfilling to help your youngster get better at mental maths. You can help your child improve his or her numeracy abilities and confidence by adding mental arithmetic strategies.
In this article, we’ll explore engaging ways to improve mental maths, share quick maths tips, and introduce fun maths activities for kids.
Now let’s explore how you might make this fun and helpful for your child’s growth—improving mental calculation.
Tip 1: Understand Mental Maths by Grasping its Basics
Mental maths refers to performing calculations in your head without using a calculator, pen, or paper.
It’s an essential skill that helps children develop a deeper understanding of numbers, improves their problem-solving abilities, and boosts overall cognitive functions.
Here are some effective strategies to enhance your child’s mental maths:
Let’s say your child is learning basic addition. You can create a set of flashcards with simple addition problems, like 7 + 5, 3 + 8, and 6 + 4.
Each time your child correctly answers a flashcard, give positive reinforcement and encourage them to explain how they arrived at the answer.
This helps reinforce their understanding and boosts confidence. For instance: Show your child a flashcard with the problem “7 + 5.”
Encourage them to think through the problem and come up with the answer in their head. Once they say “12,” praise them for their correct answer and ask, “How did you figure that out?”
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Tip 2: Incorporate it into daily activities by using fun maths activities
Integrate maths into everyday activities. Ask your child to help you with grocery shopping by calculating the total cost of items or change due.
This not only provides practical application but also makes learning maths a part of daily life.
When you go grocery shopping with your child, involve them in the process of adding up the prices of items in your cart.
As you walk through the aisles, ask your child to keep a running total of the items you add to the cart. If you pick up apples for $3, a loaf of bread for $2, and milk for $4, your child would add these amounts together.
Prompt them with questions like, “If we add these apples for $3 and this bread for $2, what’s the total so far?”.
Continue to add more items and have your child update the total. For example, after adding the milk, they should say, “3 + 2 is 5, and 5 + 4 is 9. So, we have $9 worth of items now.”
At the checkout, ask your child to estimate the total cost of all items in the cart and compare it with the actual total.
This reinforces their addition skills and helps them understand real-world applications of maths.
Engage your child with fun maths activities that stimulate their interest and enhance their skills.
For instance, you can play “Multiplication War” using a deck of cards where each player multiplies the numbers on two cards and the highest product wins.
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Tip 3: Practice mental arithmetic techniques consistently
Encourage your child to practice mental calculations by solving problems in their head rather than on paper.
Start with simple problems and gradually increase the difficulty. Games like “Number Jeopardy,” where children find multiple ways to reach a number using different operations, can be very effective.
Write a target number on a whiteboard or a piece of paper, such as 24. Then, provide a list of numbers and operations that your child can use to reach the target number.
For example, you can use the numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and the operations +, -, ×, ÷.
Start with easier problems to build confidence. Ask your child, “Can you find a way to make 24 using these numbers and operations?”
As they get comfortable, encourage more complex solutions. For instance, they could find different combinations such as, “5 × 5 – 1 = 24.”
Push their mental calculation skills by incorporating multiple operations. For example, they might come up with, “4 × 6 = 24.”
Encourage your child to find as many different ways as possible to reach the target number.
For example:
“6 + 6 + 6 + 6 = 24”
“12 × 2 = 24”
“48 ÷ 2 = 24”
“30 – 6 = 24”
Tip 4: Incorporate technology by using online resources.
There are many educational apps and online resources designed to improve mental maths. Apps like Mathletics offer interactive exercises that make learning maths enjoyable.
These tools can provide additional practice and instant feedback, which is beneficial for learning.
Educational apps and online resources use interactive exercises to keep students engaged.
Instead of passive learning, where students might just read or listen, these platforms involve active problem-solving.
One of the major advantages of these digital tools is the instant feedback they provide.
When students complete a problem or exercise, they receive immediate results. This rapid feedback allows them to identify and correct mistakes right away.
Explore our resources section for a treasure trove of helpful articles and tips!
Tip 5: Encourage estimation and reinforce progress with positive feedback
Teaching your child to estimate can also boost their mental maths skills. For example, while cooking, ask them to estimate the total amount of ingredients or the time needed to complete a recipe.
Ask your child to calculate the number of scoops of a specific measuring cup that will be required to reach a given amount, such as 200 grams of flour if the recipe calls for it.
Assuming you own a 50-gram measuring cup. “How many scoops do you think we need to get 200 grams of flour?” ask your child.
Ask your child to estimate the total time needed to complete the recipe. For example, if a recipe requires 15 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to bake, ask, “How long do you think it will take to make this cake from start to finish?”
For more tips on avoiding common maths mistakes, check out our other article for additional strategies and insights!
Tip 6: Turn Mental Maths into a Storytelling Adventure
Engage your child’s imagination by turning maths problems into storytelling adventures.
For example, create a scenario where they’re a shopkeeper who needs to give change or a detective solving a mystery with numbers.
You could say, “Imagine you have a treasure chest with 20 gold coins, but you give 6 coins to a friend. How many do you have left?”
This playful approach makes maths feel less like work and more like an adventure.
By framing problems in stories, children are more likely to remember steps and become more comfortable with mental calculations.
As they solve these “missions,” they also develop confidence in their problem-solving skills.
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Tip 7: Create Exciting Math Challenges with Timed Drills
Add a sense of fun and achievement to maths practice by introducing friendly challenges and timed drills!
Set up quick maths sessions where your child tries to solve as many problems as possible within a minute.
Start with simpler calculations, like addition or multiplication, and gradually increase the difficulty.
For instance, set a goal to answer ten multiplication problems, like “3 x 4” or “7 x 6,” within 30 seconds.
As they build confidence, make it even more exciting by introducing mixed operations or division problems.
This not only improves their speed and accuracy but also trains them to think on their feet.
Over time, this activity can enhance mental resilience and help your child become more adaptable under timed conditions, preparing them for real-world problem-solving situations and future exams.
Plus, as they achieve their personal bests, celebrate each milestone to keep the motivation high and the learning experience positive!
For more ways to support your child’s success in maths, explore our article with strategies to excel in the PSLE Maths exam.
If you found these tips helpful, spread the word and share with other parents who could benefit from this information!
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