Mental Math

Mental math is something we probably never heard about when we were in school. It was only as I became an adult that I became aware of how often I performed mathematics in my head. Even the simple tasks of remembering a running score in a ping-pong game, or adding up purchases in the variety store, were things I did all the time, without knowing that I was doing "mental math."

"Do it in your head," is the way we usually say it. But nowadays, the Ontario curriculum has named it "mental math."


So what exactly is mental math? And how can it be taught?

My goal is to help the kids learn and understand a variety of patterns, facts and relationships about numbers. These are very simple, basic facts, and they will provide a strong foundation for learning in later grades.

Some examples:

The +1 family:
Here's how it works. I say a number between 1 and 19. In your head, you perform [+1] and then say the resulting number to me. For example, I say, "Six." You say, "Seven." or I say, "Twelve." You say, "Thirteen."
It seems so easy! But this is a mental math skill that is priceless.

The +2 family:
It works the same way as the +1 family. For example, I say, "Eight." You say, "Ten."

The -1 family and the -2 family are next.

Stay tuned for more mental math ideas.
GB