Mental maths strategies · Year 6

In Year 6 you learn: mental strategies with large numbers.

Mental maths is about choosing a clever route through a calculation instead of always using the same written method. Rounding and adjusting, partitioning, doubling and halving, and using facts you already know turn hard-looking sums into easy ones.

Key facts

  • Round and adjust: + 99 is + 100 − 1; − 49 is − 50 + 1.
  • Partition: 6 × 23 = 6 × 20 + 6 × 3.
  • For numbers close together, count up to find the difference: 1,003 − 996 = 7.

Worked examples

Example 1

347 + 199

Answer: 546

Example 2

48 × 5

Answer: 240

Other years