How can i teach my son mental addition?

Question

i want to teach my 6-year old son how to mentally add numbers with sums of more than 10. they are not allowed to use their fingers nor count objects when adding. i want to coach him at home on how to count fast mentally. thank you

Answer 1

Our school district teaches addition differently than the "carrying" that we were taught.  The concept is obviously the same, but I think the new method might actually help for making it mentally more intuitive - after seeing their description, I think it's what I've always done in my head.

Instead of 28+47 going...

8+7=15, 5, carry the one,

1+2+4=7,

75

In their version, you do the tens slot first so it goes like this:

28+47

20+40=60

8+7=15

60+15=75

Hope that helps.

Answer 2

Seems young....

Try visualization, and start out with small sums (imagine two apples, add three apples).  Speed doesn't need to be your goal when he's first learning this skill.  It's a difficult thing to master, and like any skill, practice and becoming more comfortable with it is going to help him go faster.

Answer 3

Don`t worry as he will move to higher classes and learn more difficult things then automatically he will learn doing calculations mentally. Teach him how to add on paper by "carry over method" and make him do a lot of practice. Surely it will help.

Answer 4

first step is to introduce him to the idea of carry.

You can write nos from 1 to 20 in two separate columns; 1 to 10 in first and 11 to 20 in other,  on paper with two saparate inks.

Explain him why we need to move onto 11 and 12...

Tell him to count after first number.

e.g. 6 + 8

he will read ( imaginary paper ) like 7,8,9,10 and next 11,12,13 and 14.

Once he is used to go for 11 after 10, tell him for 21 after 20 and so on.

this method needs some practice but proves to be useful as long as numbers are small.

Answer 5

hi,

this is toughest  part as all schools in america dont allow using fingers.. i have taught my daughter too.... for this you have to make ur son learn tables ...   of all numbers from  2 to 10 first.... i mean 2*1=2, 2*2 = 4 .....tilll  2*12=24....  you have to  make him learn  all tables of all numbers  2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 and  10.... and then  you  to  tell your son to make Number 10 as the base..... then... suppose its 23 + 34 ... so  first he should add 23+30 which is  easy... it makes it 53..and then he should the remaining  4.. which will make it 57... you  to  start it from some where... try this solutuion it works... we are taught maths in India this way.....