Opening the Top Drawer to Mental Computation Module 1

What is it and why is it important?

Duration: 60 minutes

Year levels: 2, 2, 2, 3, 3, 3, 4, 4, 4, 5, 5, 5, 6, 6, 6

Category: Algebra, Algebra, Algebra, Arrays, Arrays, Arrays, Counting, Counting, Counting, Number, Number, Number, Number Operations, Number Operations, Number Operations, Number Patterns, Number Patterns, Number Patterns

Proficiency standards: Fluency, Fluency, Fluency, Reasoning, Reasoning, Reasoning, Understanding, Understanding, Understanding

AITSL standards: 1.2 Understand how students learn, 1.2 Understand how students learn, 1.2 Understand how students learn, 2.1 Content and teaching strategies of the teaching area, 2.1 Content and teaching strategies of the teaching area, 2.1 Content and teaching strategies of the teaching area, 2.5 Literacy and numeracy strategies, 2.5 Literacy and numeracy strategies, 2.5 Literacy and numeracy strategies, 3.3 Use teaching strategies, 3.3 Use teaching strategies, 3.3 Use teaching strategies, 6.2 Engage in professional learning and improve practice, 6.2 Engage in professional learning and improve practice, 6.2 Engage in professional learning and improve practice

Use: Groups of Teachers, Groups of Teachers, Groups of Teachers

Teaching practices: Attitudes, Attitudes, Attitudes, Differentiation, Differentiation, Differentiation, Engagement, Engagement, Engagement, Gifted, Gifted, Gifted, Group Work, Group Work, Group Work, Indigenous, Indigenous, Indigenous, Student Learning, Student Learning, Student Learning, Technology, Technology, Technology

This module is designed to be a guide to the importance of and reasoning behind mental computation.

This module introduces the concept of mental computation in the mathematics classroom. It provides activities that highlight what mental computation is and why it should be used in the mathematics classroom. Of particular importance is the fact that students should be using mental computation to solve mathematics questions for an extended period of time before being taught the algorithms associated with the same questions.