Mental Math for Kids: How to Make Learning Fun

Benefits of Mental Math for Kids

Arithmetic and Number-Sense Benefits

When children repeatedly practice a defined set of arithmetic facts, they can track whether they become faster and more accurate on those facts. That familiarity can support later work that uses the same operations.

One of the biggest advantages is how it develops a child's "number sense". As they get better at mental calculations, they start to really understand how numbers relate to each other.

Mental calculation also asks children to hold intermediate values, notice patterns, and explain how quantities relate. Those are useful mathematical habits without relying on simplistic “left-brain/right-brain” claims.

Practice Confidence Without Promises

Finishing a short, appropriately difficult practice set can make that specific problem type feel more familiar. That is a practical confidence goal, not a promise that arithmetic practice treats anxiety or changes emotional health.

Fun Activities to Improve Mental Math Skills

Multiplication War

A great game that's like regular war, but with a math twist (I'm kidding). Here's how you play:

1. Take out all the face cards from a deck, leaving only the number cards and aces (which count as 1).
2. Two players each flip over two cards at the same time.
3. Each player has to multiply their two numbers in their head and shout out the answer.
4. The player with the bigger answer wins all four cards.
5. If there's a tie, you have a "war" by flipping over two more cards each.

This game is fun, but it's also teaching you to multiply quickly in your head. As you get better, you can add in bigger numbers to make it more challenging.

Numbers Jeopardy

Remember that TV show Jeopardy? Well, we're going to make a math version of it (which you can play online too). Here's how:

1. Make a game board with different categories and point values.
2. Your categories can be different types of math, like addition, subtraction, multiplication, and so on.
3. Players pick a category and a point value, then solve the math problem in their head.
4. Get it right, you get points. Get it wrong, you might lose points.

This game is great because it makes you think fast about all kinds of math. And because it's a competition, it keeps things exciting.

Advanced Strategies and Techniques

Mnemonic Devices

Mnemonic devices are memory cues that can help a child retrieve a rule. Here are a few examples:

• Acronyms: Remember "Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally" (PEMDAS)? We talked about it in chapter 2. It's a way to remember the order of operations in math.
• Rhymes or songs: Making up catchy tunes can help you memorize math formulas.
• Visual mnemonics: Look up the "butterfly method". For adding and subtracting fractions, it's a great example of using pictures to remember math concepts.

Here's a tip: Encourage children to make up their own mnemonic devices. This process helps them understand and remember the concepts even better.

Mental Math Tricks

Rounding Up When Multiplying by 9

Here's a neat trick for multiplying by 9:

1. Round up the number you're multiplying to the nearest ten.
2. Multiply that rounded number by 9 (which is the same as multiplying by 10 and subtracting the original number).
3. 3. Then subtract the difference between the rounded number and the original number from your result.

For example, let's say you're doing 68 x 9:

• Round 68 up to 70
• 70 x 9 = 630
• Subtract 18 (2 x 9) from 630
• You get 612!

Doubling and Halving

This trick is great when one of your numbers is even:

1. Double one number and halve the other.
2. Keep doing this until you get to a calculation that's easy to do in your head.

For instance, to calculate 16 x 35:

• Double 35 to 70, and halve 16 to 8
• 8 x 70 = 560

Problem-Solving Techniques

Cover-Copy-Compare

The Cover-Copy-Compare (CCC) is great for improving your accuracy and speed. Here's how it works:

1. Look at a math problem that's already solved correctly.
2. Cover it up and write it out from memory.
3. Uncover the original and compare your work to the correct answer.

This can be applied to many mathematical skills. A teacher or specialist should adapt it when a child has a diagnosed learning difficulty.

Taped-Problem Approach

This approach uses recordings to help you practice. Here's what you do:

1. Make a worksheet with math problems and spaces for answers.
2. Record yourself reading each problem, followed by a short pause.
3. As you listen to the recording, try to write the answer during the pause.
4. If you don't answer in time or get it wrong, write the correct answer when it's given in the recording.

This creates a repeatable, paced practice format that combines a spoken prompt with a written response. Compare results over several sessions before deciding whether it helps the learner.

Tools and Resources

Math Apps and Websites

Here are some great digital tools that can make practicing mental math a lot more fun:

• Mental Math Pro: Yes, my own product. But I did try to make it the best/ cheapest resource!
• Prodigy Math: This is like a video game, but for math. It figures out what you're good at and what you need to work on, and adjusts accordingly.
• NRICH: This one's made by the University of Cambridge. It's got some really challenging math problems and games that'll really make you think.
• Math Is Fun: This website's got everything - clear explanations, examples, and exercises you can do right on the site.

Math Books and Reading Materials

Here are some books that can really help:

• "Each Orange Had 8 Slices" by Paul Giganti Jr.: This book introduces multiplication in a way that's easy to visualize.
• "The Grapes of Math" by Greg Tang: This one's got visual puzzles that'll help you see patterns and think strategically.
• Sir Cumference series by Cindy Neuschwander: These are adventure stories set in medieval times, but they're all about math concepts.
• "Secrets of Mental Math" by Arthur Benjamin and Michael Shermer: This one's for when a bit older kids. It's full of techniques for doing calculations in your head.

Educational Games and Platforms

Now, let's talk about some games that can make math practice fun:

• Math Bingo: It's like regular bingo, but with math problems. It's a great way to practice different operations.
• Stand Up, Sit Down: This is a simple game where you stand up or sit down based on math facts. It gets your whole body involved in learning.
• 101 and Out: In this game, you start with 101 points and try to get to exactly zero by adding or multiplying dice rolls.

Conclusion

By incorporating these activities, strategies, and resources into regular math practice, parents and educators can help kids become better at mental math in a fun and interactive manner.

See you in the next chapter 🙂 Be well.