Strategies for

Mental Math &

Number Talks
Ideal for
grades

--

20 Posters for common mental math
strategies in multi-digit addition,
subtraction, multiplication, & division.
Designed by Alison Eber
http://eberopolis.blogspot.com

Backgrounds and Clipart by KPM Doodles

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 Addition
Strategies for
Mental Math &
Number Talks
©  A.Eber,  2013  –  h0p://eberopolis.blogspot.com  
 Addition Strategy: Making Tens
Look for ways to put numbers together
to make tens.
7 + 2 + 3 + 5 + 8
10 + 10 + 5 = 25

You could even break numbers apart
to do this.
116 + 8 = 110 + (6 + 4) + 4
110 + 10 + 4 = 124

©  A.Eber,  2013  –  h0p://eberopolis.blogspot.com  

 Addition Strategy: Making
Landmark or Friendly Numbers
Adjust one or both sides by adding or
subtracting to make a number that’s
easier to work with.
58 + 36
58 +2 = 60
60 + 36 = 96
96 – 2 = 94

Don’t forget to “undo” the adjustment.

©  A.Eber,  2013  –  h0p://eberopolis.blogspot.com  
 Addition Strategy: Doubles &
Near-Doubles
Adjust one or both sides by adding or
subtracting to make a number that’s
easy to double.
99 + 98
99 +1 + 98 +2 = 100 + 100
100 + 100 = 200
200 – 1 – 2 =197

Don’t forget to “undo” the adjustment.

©  A.Eber,  2013  –  h0p://eberopolis.blogspot.com  
 Addition Strategy: Breaking
Each Number into Its Place Value
Break each number into expanded
form and combine like place values.

135 + 219
(100 + 30 + 5) + (200 + 10 + 9)
100 + 200 = 300
30 + 10 = 40
5 + 9 = 14
300 + 40 + 14 = 354
©  A.Eber,  2013  –  h0p://eberopolis.blogspot.com  
 Addition Strategy: Adding Up in
Chunks
Break one number into friendly
chunks to add it to another whole
number.

73 + 58
73 + (50 + 7 + 1)
73 + 50 = 123
123 + 7 = 130
130 + 1 = 131
©  A.Eber,  2013  –  h0p://eberopolis.blogspot.com  
Addition Strategy: Compensation
Take an amount from one number and
give it to the other number to make
the numbers easier to work with.

148 + 27
+2 -2
(148 + 2) + (27 – 2)
150 + 25 = 175

©  A.Eber,  2013  –  h0p://eberopolis.blogspot.com  

 Subtraction
Strategies for
Mental Math &
Number Talks
©  A.Eber,  2013  –  h0p://eberopolis.blogspot.com  
 Subtraction Strategy: Adding Up
Think of the problem as an addition
problem by solving for an unknown
number.
750 – 324 = ?
324 + ? = 750
324 + 6 = 330
330 + 20 = 350
350 + 400 = 750
400 + 20 + 6 = 426
750 – 324 = 426
©  A.Eber,  2013  –  h0p://eberopolis.blogspot.com  
 Subtraction Strategy: Removal
or Counting Back
Take away the number being
subtracted in chunks rather than all at
once.
123 – 69
123 – (20 + 40 + 3 + 6)
123 – 20 = 103
103 – 40 = 63
63 – 3 = 60
60 – 6 = 54

©  A.Eber,  2013  –  h0p://eberopolis.blogspot.com  
 Subtraction Strategy: Place
Value & Negative Numbers
Put each number in expanded form
and subtract.
A. 123 – 59 B. 999 – 354
(100 + 20 + 3) – (50 + 9) (900 + 90 + 9) – (300 + 50 + 4)
100  20 3 900 90 9
- 50 9 -300 50 4
100 – 30 – 6 600 + 40 +5
100 – 30 = 70 = 645
70 – 6 = 64

Pay careful attention to positive and

negative numbers when subtracting.
©  A.Eber,  2013  –  h0p://eberopolis.blogspot.com  
Subtraction Strategy: Adjusting One
Number to Create an Easier Problem
Change one number to make the
problem easier. Then “undo” your
change at the end.

199 – 98 199 – 98
199 + 1 – 98 199 – (98 + 2)
200 – 98 = 102 199 – 100 = 99
102 – 1 = 101 99 + 2 = 101

If you change your starting If you change the part you’re
number (the whole), use the taking away, use the same
inverse operation on your operation on your answer.
answer.  

©  A.Eber,  2013  –  h0p://eberopolis.blogspot.com  

 Subtraction Strategy: Keeping a
Constant Difference
Add or subtract the same amount from
both numbers to make a problem that
is easier to solve.

151 – 98
(151 + 2) – (98 + 2)
153 – 100 = 53
151 – 98 = 53

©  A.Eber,  2013  –  h0p://eberopolis.blogspot.com  

Multiplication
Strategies for
Mental Math &
Number Talks
©  A.Eber,  2013  –  h0p://eberopolis.blogspot.com  
 Multiplication Strategy:
Repeated Addition
Repeatedly add the number based on
your number of groups of that number.
6 x 15
15 + 15 + 15 + 15 + 15 + 15
15 + 15 = 30
30 + 15 = 45
45 + 15 = 60
60 + 15 = 75
75 + 15 = 90
©  A.Eber,  2013  –  h0p://eberopolis.blogspot.com  
 Multiplication Strategy: Making
Landmark or Friendly Numbers
Change one of the factors to a friendly
number to make the problem easier.

8 x 199
8 x (199 + 1) = (8 x 199) + (8 x 1)
8 x 200 = 1600
1600 – (8 x 1) = 1592
8 x 199 = 1592

Don’t forget to “undo” your change!
©  A.Eber,  2013  –  h0p://eberopolis.blogspot.com  
 Multiplication Strategy:
Partial Products
Break one or both factors into addends
and multiply using the distributive
property.

6 x 325
6 x (300 + 20 + 5)
(6 x 300) + (6 x 20) + (6 x 5)
1800 + 120 + 30 = 1950

©  A.Eber,  2013  –  h0p://eberopolis.blogspot.com  

 Multiplication Strategy:
Doubling & Halving
Double one number and halve the
other until you have an easier problem
to solve.
8 x 29
÷ 2 x 2
4 x 58
÷ 2 x 2
2 x 116
232
©  A.Eber,  2013  –  h0p://eberopolis.blogspot.com  
 Multiplication Strategy: Breaking
Factors into Smaller Factors
Break a number into smaller factors
that will make the problem easier to
solve. Then use the associative
property.
16 x 25
4 x 4 x 25 = 4 x (4 x 25)
4 x 100 = 400

©  A.Eber,  2013  –  h0p://eberopolis.blogspot.com  

 Division
Strategies for
Mental Math &
Number Talks
©  A.Eber,  2013  –  h0p://eberopolis.blogspot.com  
 Division Strategy:
Repeated Subtraction
Repeatedly subtract groups of the
divisor from your starting number.
30 ÷ 5
30 – 5 – 5 – 5 – 5 – 5 – 5 = 0
6 x 5 = 30
You can chunk the subtraction into
easier units.
30 – (2 x 5) – (2 x 5) – (2 x 5) = 0
30 = (2 + 2 + 2) x 5
30 = 6 x 5

©  A.Eber,  2013  –  h0p://eberopolis.blogspot.com  

Division Strategy: Multiplying Up
Multiply your divisor by friendly
numbers until you get to the dividend.

453 ÷ 3
3 x 100 = 300
3 x 50 = 150
3 x 1 = 3
3 x (100 + 50 + 1) = (300 + 150 + 3)
3 x 151 = 453


©  A.Eber,  2013  –  h0p://eberopolis.blogspot.com  
 Division Strategy: Partial
Quotients
Remove the divisor in smaller chunks
until you cannot remove any more.
36 R 10
15 550
- 150 (10 x 15)
400
- 300 (20 x 15)
100
- 30 (2 x 15)
70
- 60 (4 x 15) 10 + 20 + 2 + 4 = 36
10
©  A.Eber,  2013  –  h0p://eberopolis.blogspot.com  
 Division Strategy:
Proportional Reasoning
Divide both numbers by the same
number to keep them in proportion to
one another.
384 ÷ 16
÷  2   ÷  2  
192 ÷ 8
÷  2   ÷  2  
96 ÷ 4
÷  2  
48 ÷ 2 ÷  2  
384 = 192 = 96 = 48 = 24
16 8 4 2

©  A.Eber,  2013  –  h0p://eberopolis.blogspot.com  
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