Use What You Know to Find What You Don’t
What’s 9 × 6? You might know the answer straight away — 54. But how did you get there? Maybe you just remembered it. Or maybe you used a trick without even realising.
Let’s say you don’t know your 9 or 6 times tables. No problem. You probably know your 10s. And 9 is just one less than 10. So you could do 10 × 6 = 60. Then subtract one group of 6. That’s 60 – 6 = 54.
It’s the same with adding. What’s 28 + 89? That’s a bit clunky. But you can make the numbers friendlier. Add 1 to 89 to get 90. Then take 1 from 28 to get 27. Now do 90 + 27. Much easier — that’s 117.
You could also do it the other way: add 11 to 89 to get 100, take 11 from 28 to get 17. Add those: 100 + 17 = 117. Either way, you break a hard problem into simpler steps.
Maths Is About Making Connections
Good maths isn’t about remembering a hundred different facts. It’s about spotting relationships. If you know how to use what you already understand, you can solve much harder problems without stress.
This learning strategy is called constructivism and is very powerful in mathematics. In particularly, it builds mathematical fluency — and it has more to do with strategy than memory.
Counting Is Harder Than You Think
Counting seems easy. But it actually takes more brain power. Learners who only use counting often find maths harder in the long run.
Take 9 + 8. You could count up: 10, 11, 12… up to 17. That’s a lot of steps. But what if you know that 8 + 8 = 16? Then 9 + 8 must be one more — 17. Or flip it: 9 + 9 = 18, then subtract 1 to get 17. These are faster, more efficient, and use less mental effort than counting.
Help Children Think Flexibly
We should encourage children to spot patterns, not just chase answers. Try asking:
- Do you know any numbers close to this one?
- Can you break the number into smaller bits?
- What would happen if you changed it slightly?
This way, children start to see numbers as connected and flexible. They use what they know to figure out what they don’t. That builds confidence and turns them into strong, independent mathematical thinkers.
Try it at home — and watch your child rise, just like Imhotep!
