How to Get Better at Mental Math

Mental math is an extremely valuable skill that can provide significant benefits in both personal and professional life. Whether you’re calculating discounts at the shopping mall, estimating project costs at work, or even splitting bills with friends, mental math always comes in handy. So, how do you get better at this important skill? This post will guide you through five essential steps to improve your mental math skills.

1. Understand The Basics

Before you dive into more complex calculations, it’s crucial to have a solid grasp of basic arithmetic. This includes addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.

Addition and subtraction: Try practicing mental sums and differences within the range of 20. For example, 8 + 7, 15 – 6, etc.
Multiplication and division: Memorize multiplication tables up to 12 x 12.

2. Learn Useful Math Tricks

You can find a plethora of useful math tricks to make mental calculations faster and easier. Here are a few examples:

Doubling and Halving: If you need to multiply a number by a large even number, try halving the even number and doubling the other number.
Round and Adjust: If you’re working with complex numbers, round them up or down to make the calculation easier, and then adjust the answer.

3. Practice Regularly

Just like learning any new skill, improving mental math requires consistent practice. There are several online platforms like Khan Academy and Coursera where you can find exercises to practice and improve your skills.

4. Apply Mental Math in Real Life

The best way to get better at mental math is to use it in everyday life. When you’re at the grocery store, try adding up the prices in your head. If you’re splitting a bill with friends, figure out what everyone owes without using a calculator.

5. Embrace Challenges

A little challenge can do wonders for your mental math skills. Engage in math-related puzzles or games such as Sudoku, 2048, or KenKen to keep your brain engaged and constantly learning.

Going Beyond: Expanding Your Mental Math Horizons

Once you’ve mastered the basics and have made mental math part of your everyday routine, it’s time to explore the more advanced realm of mental arithmetic. Here’s how you can further hone your mental math skills and start performing calculations like a pro.

6. Master Estimation

Estimation is a powerful technique that can simplify complex calculations. It involves approximating numbers to their nearest ten, hundred, or thousand to make the math easier. For example, if you need to calculate 79 + 55, you could estimate it as 80 + 50 = 130. While this may not give you the exact answer, it’s usually close enough for most everyday needs. Mastering estimation is particularly handy when dealing with large numbers.

7. Understand Fractions and Percentages

Fractions and percentages are ubiquitous, and being comfortable with them can significantly boost your mental math skills.

Fractions: Practice simplifying fractions, adding and subtracting them, and converting them to decimals.
Percentages: Get comfortable with calculating simple percentages in your head. A helpful trick is to remember that finding 10% of a number involves moving the decimal point one place to the left.

8. Delve Into Mental Algebra

While it might sound intimidating, simple algebra can be performed mentally with enough practice. You can start with linear equations and gradually move to quadratic equations as your confidence grows.

9. Use Apps and Online Resources

In this digital age, there are numerous apps and websites to help you get better at mental math. Platforms like Brilliant, Photomath, and Mathway offer a vast array of problems to solve and can provide step-by-step solutions to help you understand the process.

10. Adopt a Growth Mindset

Perhaps the most important tip is to adopt a growth mindset. Believe that you can improve, that your brain is like a muscle that grows stronger with exercise. Don’t shy away from mistakes—they are invaluable opportunities to learn and grow.

Wrapping Up

Mental math isn’t just about doing calculations in your head. It’s about enhancing your critical thinking skills, boosting your confidence, and opening your mind to a world of opportunities. The path to mastering mental math is an exciting journey. Be patient, keep practicing, and remember, every step forward is a step towards achieving math fluency.

Conclusion

There’s no magic formula to becoming an expert at mental math overnight. It requires understanding of the basics, learning useful tricks, practicing regularly, and most importantly, consistently applying these skills in real-life situations. Embrace challenges and remember, every expert was once a beginner. So, keep practicing, and you’ll get better at mental math.