In this episode we learn how to mentally add three digit numbers and money.
Episode Summary Mental addition is best done using left-to-right methods rather than what is taught in school. When we perform arithmetic mentally in a right-to-left fashion, it slows us down because of the constant need to carry digits from one column to the next.
By mentally adding the left most columns first, we avoid the need to carry digits and we get a feel for how large the sum should be early on because we are adding up the digits with the most weight first.
This concept also applies to adding money. The only difference is that after we are done adding the numbers together, we add in a decimal point to our final answer.
The student should practice additional mental math problems after watching this episode first beginning with two numbers then gradually moving to three and four number addition using the mental math methods outlined in this episode.
Math Tip of the Week
