Tips to Improve Mental Calculation Skills at Home

For your child, calculating sums in their head can seem daunting, however, it doesn’t have to be. Read on for some brilliant tips to improve your mental calculation skills from the experts at 3G Abacus. We’ll cover simple exercises to sharpen their skills, helpful visualisation techniques, fun maths games for all ages, speed calculation methods and more. Get ready to flex those mental maths muscles and let’s get calculating.

Understanding Mental Calculation

To get better at mental math, you first need to understand how it works. Mental calculation taps into your mind’s inherent ability to manipulate numbers and solve problems logically.

The key is to start with the basics. Focus on simple addition, subtraction and multiplication. As your child builds up their skills, move on to larger numbers and more complex problems.

With regular practice of simple exercises like adding single-digit numbers together in your head, your child’s mind will get faster at processing numbers. In no time, they’ll be multiplying double digits in a snap!

Warm Up Exercises

Warm up your child’s brain with simple calculations. Flash cards are great for this. Hold up a card with a problem like 12 x 9 and have your child say the answer aloud. Give a prize for getting it right quickly! Once they’ve mastered the times tables, move on to adding and subtracting larger numbers in their head.

Visualisation Techniques

To improve mental calculation skills, visualisation techniques are key.

Have your child visualise the numbers in their mind. Ask them to imagine the numbers as physical objects, like blocks, that they can manipulate and combine. This visualisation technique will make mental math feel more concrete. With regular practice, these mental images will become second nature.

Mental Math Games and Puzzles

Mental math games provide an engaging way to improve calculation speed and problem-solving skills. Crossword or sudoku with numbers instead of letters are great options. Set a timer and race to complete the puzzle. These kinds of timed challenges boost your child’s mental math fluency.

For a more active game, try flash cards. Make your own set with simple addition, subtraction, multiplication and division problems on one side and the answers on the other. Get involved with your child and quiz each other by flashing the problems, seeing who can say the answer fastest. Start with single-digit problems and work your way up to multi-digit operations.

Another classic is the 24 game. Use four numbers, like 3, 5, 7 and 9. Arrange them with any of the four operations to make the number 24. Whoever finds the most solutions in a minute wins. This game activates critical thinking and the ability to manipulate numbers in your head.

Mental math puzzles and games provide an engaging way to improve calculation speed and problem-solving skills. Find what works for your child and have fun while strengthening your mind. Speed will come with regular practice!

Daily Life Applications

When you’re out and about with your child, try asking your child to do quick mental calculations to keep their mind sharp. For example, when shopping for groceries, ask your child to estimate the total cost of items in your cart to the nearest $5 or $10. Or calculate the GST at a restaurant without using a calculator.

Little exercises like these, done regularly in your daily routine, will help build your child’s mental math fluency in a fun, low-pressure way.

Abacus and Other Tools

An abacus is a simple yet useful tool to help build mental math skills. The abacus allows your child to visualise the quantities and math problems, helping to strengthen the connection between the concrete and abstract. Start by practicing the basics – have your child do simple addition, subtraction, multiplication and division problems on the abacus. As their skills improve, encourage mental calculation alongside the abacus. Eventually, they’ll be able to do the problems in their head!

Other useful tools include dice, cards, and dominoes. Have your child roll dice to determine the numbers in a problem. For example, roll 3 dice to get 3 digits for a 3-digit by 1-digit multiplication problem. Deal cards to determine the operands in an equation. Line up dominoes to represent the numbers in an addition or subtraction problem, then have them say the total. These kinds of engaging, hands-on tools make learning fun while enhancing mental math ability.

Use Online Resources to Practice Mental Calculation

The internet offers a wealth of free resources to boost your mental math skills. Interactive math websites and apps provide an engaging way for your child to practice at their own pace. Some recommended sites offer timed tests and games to challenge yourself. These resources allow your child to start at a level that matches their current skills and progress to more advanced levels as they improve.

The 3G Abacus E-Learning System (3GAbELs) provides our students with a variety of practice questions to do at home. These questions are specifically designed for the student’s learning level, and they can train their mental calculation at their convenience.

With regular practice of these kinds of online exercises, your mental calculation abilities will strengthen over time. Take advantage of these useful tools to keep your mind sharp and math reflexes nimble.

Group Activities

To practice mental math skills as a group, try setting up some friendly competitions in the family, or with your child’s friends. A game idea would be to split into teams and have relay races where players take turns doing mental calculations. You can also play games like ‘Around the World’, where players stand in a circle and each person calls out an equation for the next person to solve. Anyone who answers incorrectly sits down, and the game continues until only one player is left standing.

These types of collaborative activities make learning math more engaging and fun. Children can challenge each other in a low-pressure way, building confidence through practice and support from peers. Educators and parents should encourage group work at home and in the classroom. Working together, students will improve their skills and develop a growth mindset around mathematics.

Tips for Parents and Educators

As a parent or teacher, you play an important role in developing a child’s mental calculation ability. Help your children set small, achievable goals and provide encouragement and praise for their efforts and progress. Give them opportunities to apply their skills in real-world situations, like cooking, shopping, or handling money.

Make learning fun by using interactive math websites and apps, as well as puzzles, games and flashcards. Work through the exercises together, explaining your thinking process step-by-step. Your enthusiasm and support can motivate them to practice and strengthen their skills.

Most of all, be patient and understand that developing proficiency in mental math takes dedication and time. With regular practice and persistence, students of all ages can improve their mental calculation and problem-solving abilities.

Sharpen Your Mental Calculation with 3G Abacus

Sharpening mental calculation skills can be a fun and rewarding journey for your child. By integrating the techniques and exercises from 3G Abacus into your daily routine, you can help make math both engaging and accessible. Remember,consistent practice and encouragement is what helps your child reap the benefits of learning mental calculations. Whether through visualisation techniques, mental math games, practical daily applications, or group activities, there are countless ways to make learning enjoyable and effective.

With the right tools and support, your child will not only improve their mental math abilities but also gain confidence in their overall problem-solving skills. So, keep practicing, stay positive, and watch as your child’s mental calculation skills flourish!