New Wave Mental Maths

New Wave Mental Maths is a school-wide series that aims to strengthen pupils’ mental maths abilities; essential skills that underpin effective interaction with all aspects of the maths curriculum and problem-solving situations.

The series is comprised of six pupil workbooks which aim to provide comprehensive coverage of mental maths concepts required by the primary school mathematics curriculum. New Wave Mental Maths provides a valuable resource to support teachers in the classroom, helping pupils to develop essential skills that will underpin their success in all areas of maths.

Download a sample of New Wave Mental Maths

What is mental maths?

Mental maths is a group of skills that allow you to do maths in your head without using a pencil and paper or a calculator.

Mental arithmetic involves a range of skills including being able to recall basic number facts, being able to visualise mental images of numbers and objects, and being able to do calculations quickly in your head. These skills can all be developed with practice.

Benefits of learning mental maths

There are many benefits to be gained from developing good mental maths skills. The brain, like muscles, gets stronger and more efficient with use.

Mental maths is an essential skill for school children of all ages. It forms the foundation for most of the areas of mathematics that use numbers, including addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.

Benefits and applications of mental maths:

In primary school

Helps children to learn multiplication tables.
Develops a better understanding of concepts such as place value and fractions.
Improves confidence and fluency in working with numbers.
Solves problems more quickly and confidently.
Enhances mental arithmetic skills.

In everyday life

It is also a valuable skill for everyday life, as it can help you to do simple calculations quickly and without error. This can be useful when working out change at the shops, or when trying to divide a bill evenly between friends.

Helps with budgeting.
Improves financial literacy and awareness.
Calculating time.
Estimating travel time or distance.
Evaluating retail offers and comparing prices.

Mental maths is also useful when solving more complex problems. Being able to visualise numbers and operations in your head can help you to see patterns and relationships that you might otherwise miss.

By teaching mental maths in primary school, you are equipping pupils with a valuable skill that will serve them throughout their lives.

Strategies for learning mental maths

Mental arithmetic is a valuable skill, keeping the brain quick and active, whilst improving number sense. There are many great strategies for improving mental maths abilities in school.

One strategy is to regularly practise mental math exercises.
Another is to make use of visual aids, such as number lines or multiplication charts.
Finally, it can be helpful to think of numbers in terms of units, tens and hundreds.

By using strategies and encouraging regular practice, your pupils will develop strong mental maths abilities in no time.

Teaching mental maths in the classroom

Mental maths strategies are the foundation of most of the areas of mathematics that use numbers. By teaching mental maths to pupils, we are giving them the tools they need to succeed in mathematical concepts that require the manipulation of numbers.

Studies have also shown that mental arithmetic can significantly boost the capacity of the brain. Many real-life problems require mathematical knowledge, but they also require the ability to think creatively and apply what you know in new ways.

By teaching mental maths strategies, you can give pupils a strong foundation on which to build their mathematical understanding and problem-solving skills.

Features of the New Wave Mental Maths series

Some key features of the New Wave Mental Maths series:

A series of six pupil workbooks.
A 40-week programme divided into a convenient Monday to Friday daily format.
Designed for daily use in the classroom or as structured, consistent homework, with enough material for the whole school year.
Aims to develop fluency in the basics of mathematics. The emphasis is placed on daily computation and tables practice to ensure quick and accurate mental recall of key number facts.
Sequential development and consolidation of core maths concepts and precise maths language used throughout for pupils to regularly encounter and understand the vocabulary of maths.
Ensures pupils meet all areas of the curriculum on a regular basis.
Problem-solving in both pictorial and word format aims to encourage pupils to practise problem-solving strategies mentally.
Contains a strong assessment component (pupil record sheet) which allows pupils to review their answers and evaluate their progress each week.
Ideal for private tutors and parents wanting to help boost their child's mathematical performance (separate from schoolwork).

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Prim-Ed Publishing offers a range of maths worksheets and resources, including teacher guides and maths games, plus much more. Contact us for more information or check out the other Prim-Ed Series available for your school.