Mental Math
Calculate quickly in your head using clever strategies instead of always counting or writing.
What your child learns
- Make a ten and use near-doubles
- Round and adjust (compensation): 47 + 29 = 47 + 30 − 1
- Use ×10, ×5, ×9, ×11 and ×25 shortcuts and build percentages from 10%
Example
16 × 5 = 16 × 10 ÷ 2 = 80.
Practice questions
A taste of the questions in BloomTracks – the app makes fresh ones every time and adjusts the level as your child answers.
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Question 1 · Level 1
Quick! 19 + 3 = ?
Show the answer
Answer: 22
19 + 1 = 20, then add the other 2: 20 + 2 = 22.
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Question 2 · Level 3
24 × 99 = ?
Show the answer
Answer: 2376
2400 − 24 = 2376.
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Question 3 · Level 5
71² = ? (71 × 71)
Show the answer
Answer: 5041
4900 + 70 + 71 = 5041.
Try it at home
Give one quick mental sum a day at breakfast and ask 'how did you work it out?'
Key takeaway
There is usually more than one way — pick the friendliest numbers.
Practise mental math with Bloomie
Bloomie reads every question aloud, listens to spoken answers and adapts the difficulty one question at a time.