We don't have online enrolment, because we want first to talk.
Please fill this in the form below, and then we'll walk the walk.
With calculators always in reach and so accessible it can be easy to think whether mental maths is still important. A lot of my students and myself included are extremely reliant on calculators because of it can answer a question in seconds, why would we need to do it in our heads ? However, I have realised mental maths is a lot more important than just simply calculating quickly.
Practising mental maths is important in building number sense (having an understanding generally of how numbers relate to each other or basically if the answer you arrived at maths general sense in relation to the question). An easy example of this is knowing that 25% is the same as 1/4. Knowing this makes it much easier to figure out what 25% of 120 is without reaching for a calculator.
Mental maths is also useful in everyday situations. Whether you are checking how much change you should receive after a purchase, estimating the cost of several items or applying a discount, being comfortable with mental maths and numbers can make these tasks much easier.
Generally in an exam context, mental maths can save a student a lot of time. Completing basic calculations quickly leaves more time to complete harder calculations/questions. While in some exam circumstances, putting an easier calculation into your calculator is needed, most of the time students who are proficient in multiplication, division, addition and subtraction have more time to approach complex questions rather than getting stuck in the small calculations along the way.
Calculators are an extremely useful tool however making sure we are retaining our mental maths skills are equally as important !
