7 Exercises to Boost Your Mental Arithmetic

As an online maths tutor, I often see students struggle with mental arithmetic, especially when it comes to solving problems quickly and accurately. However, mental arithmetic is a skill that can be improved with regular practice and the right exercises. Here are some exercises that I recommend to my students to help improve their mental maths skills:

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• Practice with flashcards: Using flashcards to practice mental arithmetic is a great way to quickly improve your skills. Start with basic operations such as addition and subtraction, and gradually move on to more challenging operations such as multiplication and division. You can also use flashcards to practice mental arithmetic in different bases, such as binary and hexadecimal.
• Use mental arithmetic games: There are many online and offline games that can help you improve your mental arithmetic skills. For example, you can play mental arithmetic races, where you compete against others to see who can solve the most problems in a set amount of time.
• Work with large numbers: Practice working with large numbers to help you improve your mental arithmetic skills. Start with simple operations such as addition and subtraction, and gradually move on to more complex operations such as multiplication and division. You can also use mental arithmetic games to practice working with large numbers.
• Practice estimation: Estimation is an important part of mental arithmetic, and can help you quickly determine whether the answer to a problem is reasonable. For example, if you're asked to find the product of 9 and 7, you can quickly estimate that the answer is around 70. This will help you avoid making careless mistakes and also help you improve your mental arithmetic skills.
• Use mental arithmetic to solve real-life problems: Practice using mental arithmetic to solve real-life problems. For example, calculate the cost of items while shopping, or determine the number of people in a group. This will help you see the practical applications of mental arithmetic and will also help you improve your skills.
• Practice regularly: Regular practice is key to improving your mental arithmetic skills. I recommend setting aside a specific time each day to practice mental arithmetic, and gradually increasing the amount of time you spend practicing each day.
• Get creative with mental arithmetic: Finally, try to be creative with your mental arithmetic. For example, use mental arithmetic to play games with your friends and family, or use mental arithmetic to create puzzles and challenges for others to solve. This will help you see mental arithmetic in a different light, and will also help you improve your skills.

In conclusion, mental arithmetic is an important skill that can be improved with regular practice and the right exercises. By using a combination of these exercises, you can improve your mental arithmetic skills and become a more confident and effective problem-solver. As an online maths tutor, I work with students to help them find the best exercises for improving their mental arithmetic, and I encourage them to never give up.