Hello there! I’m Michael Heyman, and I’m here to talk about something super cool: mental math! Mental math is like a superpower that helps you solve math problems in your head without using a calculator or paper. Let’s learn how to make math fun and easy!
Mental math helps us solve problems in real life, like when you’re shopping or playing games. If we get good at mental math, we can think about the problem instead of worrying about the math part. This makes solving problems much easier and more fun!
Mad Minutes is a fun game you can play every day! Here’s how it works: you have 60 seconds to answer as many math questions as you can. Each week, you focus on a different math theme, like adding or subtracting. For example, one week you might practice adding numbers to make ten. Try to answer more questions each day and see how much you improve by the end of the week!
Do you like singing? You can make up songs about multiplication! These songs help you remember multiplication facts, which makes solving math problems easier. Try making a song that rhymes and sing it whenever you want to practice your math skills.
Number talks are a great way to think about numbers in different ways. Here’s how you can do it: write a math problem on the board, like 5 + 5. Instead of shouting out the answer, think of different ways to solve it. You can show how many ideas you have by raising your fingers. When it’s your turn, share your idea and see how others solved it too!
For example, if someone says they counted on their fingers, you can write down their steps to see how they did it. This helps everyone learn new ways to solve problems. It’s okay to make mistakes because we can learn from them and help each other out!
Remember, practicing mental math can be fun with activities like Mad Minutes, number songs, and number talks. These activities help you become a math superhero in real life! Keep practicing, and you’ll get better and better.
Thanks for learning with us today! We hope you had fun, and we look forward to seeing you next time. Don’t forget to check out more fun videos and activities with Kids Academy!
Math Detective Walk: Go on a walk around your neighborhood or home with a grown-up. Look for numbers in everyday places, like house numbers, street signs, or prices in a store. Try to add or subtract these numbers in your head. For example, if you see the numbers 12 and 8, you can think about what 12 + 8 equals. Share your findings with your family and see who can find the most numbers!
Math Story Time: Create a short story with a friend or family member that includes a math problem. For example, “Once upon a time, there were 7 apples on a tree. A little bird came and ate 3 apples. How many apples are left?” Draw pictures to go along with your story and solve the math problem together. This helps you practice mental math while having fun with storytelling!
Math Chef: Help out in the kitchen by measuring ingredients for a simple recipe. Use your mental math skills to double or halve the recipe. For example, if a recipe calls for 2 cups of flour, think about how much you need if you want to make twice as much or half as much. This activity helps you see how math is used in cooking and makes math practice delicious!
Sure! Here’s a sanitized version of the transcript:
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Welcome to Kids Academy! This is Michael Heyman, an elementary school teacher and Common Core consultant with Kids Academy. Today, I’d like to talk to you about something very important: mental math.
Education should be about applying what we’ve learned to real-life situations to help us problem-solve. However, if we lack strong foundational math or mental math skills, applying this knowledge can become more challenging and stressful for our students. When we develop strong mental math skills, applying this knowledge to real-life situations becomes much easier, allowing students to focus on thinking about the problem rather than the mathematics itself.
So, how can we help our students improve their mental math? There are some effective routines and activities that I have personally used in my classroom, and I see my colleagues use them as well, which help develop number sense in students in a strong and quick way.
The first activity I’d like to discuss is called “Mad Minutes.” You can name this activity anything you like, but the main idea is that it’s a 60-second daily activity where students answer as many math problems as they can. The math problems should have a focused theme that runs across a week or a month. For instance, if you’re in first or second grade, you might focus on addition and subtraction, with a specific theme each week, such as making tens or subtracting five. This common theme allows students to build strength in one concept or area.
During the activity, students answer as many questions as they can in 60 seconds, keeping track of their own scores. The goal is to improve the number of questions answered each day. For example, if students can answer about 20 or 30 questions on Monday, by Friday, they might be able to answer all 60 questions in the same time. The focus is on seeing progress throughout the week. Once students master one concept, they can move on to the next.
Another way to develop mental math skills is through number songs. We previously discussed multiplication songs, and you can create any multiplication songs you want that rhyme. Memorizing multiplication facts will make solving other multiplication problems much easier, so using these catchy songs can help students mentally memorize these facts for future problem-solving.
Finally, I’d like to share my favorite mental math activity: number talks. Number talks allow students to think about numbers flexibly and give them a voice and ownership over their mathematical thinking.
Number talks can be done as a warm-up at the beginning of the day or right before your math block. They are a great routine to encourage mental math flexibility.
To conduct a number talk, write a problem on the board, such as five plus five. Students should not call out their strategies; instead, they can indicate how many strategies they have by raising fingers. For example, if a student has one strategy, they raise one finger, and so on. Start with an easy problem to lead into more complex ones.
When you call on a student, ask how they solved the problem. For example, if a student says they counted on, you can represent their thinking visually by writing down their steps. This helps make their thinking visible.
You can then move on to the next problem in the number string, which is a series of problems that share a common theme. For instance, if the goal is to make tens, you might write five plus six plus five. Students should silently show their strategies, and when you call on them, you can transcribe their thinking visually.
Encourage students to share their strategies, whether they are correct or incorrect. This allows students to see different approaches to the same problem. If a student makes a mistake, they may recognize it themselves or receive help from their peers, fostering a collaborative learning environment.
At the end of the number string, discuss which strategies were the most efficient and effective. This encourages students to reflect on their problem-solving processes.
Number talks are just one of many routines, like multiplication songs and Mad Minutes, that we discussed in this video. There are many more strategies to explore. Remember, education should be about applying what you learn to the real world, and building foundational mental math skills is essential for making real-life problem-solving easier.
Thank you for watching, teachers and parents! I appreciate your time, and I look forward to seeing you next time. Subscribe to our channel to stay updated on new videos, and find links to our apps in the comments below.
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This version maintains the core content while ensuring clarity and professionalism.
