Max Maths, Year 6, Practice, Mental methods for calculation with decimals

Max Maths Year 6 practice focuses on enhancing students' mental arithmetic skills, particularly with decimal numbers. The exercises are designed to help pupils perform calculations quickly and accurately without the need for written methods or calculators. The first set of tasks involves adding decimals, where students are encouraged to align the decimal points and add the numbers as they would whole numbers. Examples include straightforward sums like 2.1 + 3.5 and slightly more complex ones such as 1.58 + 2.11, which test their ability to handle different decimal places.

The second set of exercises shifts to subtraction, again emphasizing mental calculation with decimals. Students tackle problems ranging from simple ones like 6.2 – 0.1 to those that require more attention to decimal places, such as 5.99 – 3.50. Multiplication is the focus of the third set, where students multiply decimals by powers of ten, learning the effect of place value shifts in the process. Finally, division problems require students to divide larger numbers by powers of ten, understanding how the decimal point moves to the left. These exercises are not only crucial for their mathematical development but also for everyday situations where quick and precise decimal calculations are necessary.