The Importance of Mental Math for Kids

<h1><strong>What is Mental Math?</strong></h1><p>Mental math is a set of skills that lets you do calculations in your head quickly without using pen and paper or a calculator. Mental math strategies include remembering normal addition, subtraction, multiplication and division, rounding numbers and estimating calculations. Mental math is useful in daily life situations such as:</p><ul><li>Do I have enough money to buy everything?</li><li>Am I receiving the correct amount of change?</li><li>What is the sale price or the discount on this item?</li><li>When should I leave to reach my destination on time?</li></ul><p>Using mental math helps kids understand and use these concepts. It helps improve their number sense. They can calculate estimates quickly with concepts like addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.</p><p>Mental math is different from memorizing basic facts such as times tables. Though the ability to memorize makes mental meth easier, the core idea behind mental math requires manipulating numbers and how they operate.</p><p>There are several benefits of mental math for students who learn the concepts in primary school. Teaching them to elementary students helps develop critical skills making it easier for them to learn other mathematical skills. The number one reason many students fail to learn some mathematical concepts is their inability to perform mental math.</p><p><strong>Importance of Mental Math</strong></p><p>Teaching mental math at an early age has several benefits. It develops kids’ brains, keeping them sharp and active. The brain is like any muscle in the body that needs constant exercise to keep it strong and in shape.</p><p>Just like pulling a muscle from overuse, take care not to overload kids beyond their capacity to understand it. You can make use of several age-appropriate concepts to help kids understand and sharpen their thinking abilities.</p><p>Some of the many benefits mental math offers young children include:</p><h3><strong>Creating a deep conceptual understanding</strong></h3><p>Most students have trouble understanding why an algorithm exists when working on certain problems. They may have a hard time completing the work using traditional algorithm techniques. While memorizing concepts like splitting the numbers into ones and tens, and carrying the ten to the next column is important, working with mental math and using an algorithm is best.</p><h3><strong>Improving memory</strong></h3><p>Mental math practice helps perform fast calculations that let kids' brains quickly recall math facts. It can help solve a given problem faster. Math isn’t just about memorizing: it’s about manipulating concepts to solve any problem. Understanding these concepts sharpens the child’s memory, enhancing their thinking abilities.</p><h3><strong>Improving accuracy</strong></h3><p>Mental math not only promotes conceptual understanding, but also a students’ ability to use approximation. Knowing mental concepts helps kids apply them and arrive at accurate answers. They can apply this method to many things in their lives.</p><h3><strong>Improving observation skills</strong></h3><p>Mental math for kids is a great way to help build a relationship between different things. They learn to relate numbers and understand how numbers interact. Understanding this concept helps make sense of numbers and complex math concepts.</p><h3><strong>Boosting mental health</strong></h3><p>Some math programs for kids help stimulate the part of the brain that’s linked to depression and anxiety. The more active the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex is, the better the individual is equipped to navigate difficult situations.</p><h3><strong>It’s fun</strong></h3><p>Mental math is fun and entertaining. When children understand the concepts, math becomes easier to understand, simpler to do and exciting.</p><p>Parents and teaching should be excited when teaching these concepts to help students feel energized to learn. This approach will help kids learn and develop critical skills for life.</p><h1><strong>Ways to Boost Kids’ Math Skills</strong></h1><p>While some students find it difficult to solve problems even with a pencil and paper, others are better in performing some form of mental math. Some are good at addition and subtraction but struggle with multiplication and division. Teaching math creatively goes a long way in imparting the concepts that lay the foundation for learning advanced methods.</p><p>There are various tricks and strategies that help make learning more fun and creative. Flash cards, interactive math games and online videos can make learning math fun and interactive. Some ways to help elementary students grasp math concepts include:</p><ul><li>Read mini math stories focusing on concepts and structures</li><li>Write their own math stories and then reading to others</li><li>Perform a drama using math</li><li>Build models using math concepts</li><li>Play math games like numberfit, time table rockstars, doodle math and others</li><li>Combine math concepts with visual arts</li><li>Conduct a math event or a math week</li></ul><h1><strong>The Takeaway</strong></h1><p>Whether it's math problems or fun brain teasers, taking a creative and practical approach helps kids develop essential math skills. After learning the basics, children pick up new concepts on their own. They’ll continue to discover new areas in life to implement these skills. If you find your children aren’t able to apply the concept right away, try experimenting with sessions that are more lively and thought-provoking.</p><p><strong>References:</strong></p><p>https://studybox.london/2017/08/mental-maths-important-children/</p><p>https://mlgstuition.com/why-is-mental-maths-important-in-primary-schools/</p><p>https://www.verywellfamily.com/what-is-mental-math-620915</p><p>https://www.unicusolympiads.com/blog/what-is-the-importance-of-mental-math</p><p>https://shelleygrayteaching.com/three-reasons-to-start-teaching-mental-math/</p>

Encouraging and developing kids’ ability to do math mentally helps exercise their brains, develop problem solving skills and efficiently store large amounts of information for future use.

Discover new learning experiences

The Importance of Mental Math for Kids