Max Maths, Year 4, Try it, Mental addition

In the 'Max Maths' Year 4 curriculum, the 'Try It' section encourages students to practice mental addition by rearranging addition sentences for ease of calculation. This method utilises the strategy of pairing numbers that sum up to 10 or 20, which simplifies the mental computation process. For example, when looking at the addition sentence (a) 8 + 9 + 2, students can rearrange the numbers to pair the 8 and 2, which together make 10, and then add the 9 to arrive at the sum of 19. This technique effectively streamlines the addition process and enhances mental arithmetic skills.

Similarly, in sentence (b) 7 + 4 + 1 + 3, students can rearrange the numbers to pair the 7 and 3, as well as the 4 and 1, making two sets that each total 10. Adding these together, the sum is 20. This approach is applied to various addition sentences, enabling students to quickly find pairs that make 10 or 20 before adding any remaining numbers. By practicing this method, students become more proficient in mental addition, a fundamental skill in mathematics. The workbook provides additional exercises on page 35 to reinforce this concept and further develop students' mental arithmetic abilities.