Why do I need to do math in my head when I have a calculator? The answer is multifaceted. Being able to perform math in your head demonstrates an understanding of the math, proficiency and speed - not to mention you can impress so many people with your skills! The only way to excel at mental math is to constantly practice it! It must be embedded in the way we do math every day.
Since we adopted Singapore Math a year ago, I have observed the older children and adults are the ones who struggle! That is because it makes sense to someone just learning about number sense and place value and the older one is the more habits we have to change.
Mental math starts in Kindergarten with ten frames. A ten frame is simply that - a frame with ten spaces. These spaces are then filled with "dots". The purpose is for students to recognize the number as an amount, see how numbers relate to one another, start to subitize (know the amount without having to count by ones), begin the thought process of adding on and subtracting!
You can download another free activity by Donna here. (perfect for 1st grade!)
Since we adopted Singapore Math a year ago, I have observed the older children and adults are the ones who struggle! That is because it makes sense to someone just learning about number sense and place value and the older one is the more habits we have to change.
Mental math starts in Kindergarten with ten frames. A ten frame is simply that - a frame with ten spaces. These spaces are then filled with "dots". The purpose is for students to recognize the number as an amount, see how numbers relate to one another, start to subitize (know the amount without having to count by ones), begin the thought process of adding on and subtracting!
You can download another free activity by Donna here. (perfect for 1st grade!)