Mental calculation strategies
Perform mental calculations including with mixed operations and large numbers, using strategies such as partitioning, compensation, and derived facts
Lesson
Set out your lesson
“Mental calculation strategies means practising the idea at the table with counters or paper models and one clear check. We will demo once, then your child tries.”
Bring to the table
- Two colours of counters
- Paper for ratio notation
Extra for the adult
Worked example. 2 red and 3 blue is the ratio 2:3.
Optional challenge. For Mental calculation strategies, add one harder example after success.
What to notice. Keep one parent note: examples tried; results; support used. This session samples Mental calculation strategies, not mastery.
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Teaching approaches
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1 approach
Mental calculation strategies means practising the idea at the table with counters or paper models and one clear check. We will demo once, then your child tries.
Materials: Two colours of counters; Paper for ratio notation. Adult shows 2 red : 3 blue and says the ratio. Child builds three ratios and reads each aloud. Done: three correct ratio readings. Stop after the fresh check; keep optional challenge for another day.
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Practice this concept
Start practiceMental calculation strategies practice
Practice key ideas from Mental calculation strategies.
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Learning resources
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BBC Bitesize · Practice link — not the full lesson
KS2 Maths
Before you open · source notes
KS2 Maths supports Mental calculation strategies. An adult previews and guides; this is a learning page, not a scored quiz.
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Before you openAsk the learner one fact they learned and one question they still have.
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Source, access and review notes
Public BBC Bitesize page. An anonymous GET on 2026-11-12 returned HTTP 200 with no login or payment prompt for this URL. Opening the link does not save practice or assess mastery. An adult should preview and guide the learner.
BBC Bitesize. “KS2 Maths.” External page; Gakuva does not copy, host, embed, or redistribute materials.
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Check understanding
- Mentally compute 45 × 8 by partitioning into 40 × 8 + 5 × 8
- Use known facts to derive 6.5 × 4 mentally
- Solve a multi-operation mental calculation such as 250 × 3 + 500 and explain the strategy used
“Can your child work out a mixed calculation like '(200 × 6) + 350 − 75' entirely in their head — keeping track of each step without writing anything down?”
Curriculum record
- Type
- Procedural
- Subject
- Mathematics
- Domain
- Multiplication & Division
- Age range
- Ages 10–11
Standards