Talk to me about BA mental math

[RosieCotton]

What does this look like in Beast Academy? How do they break it down for them? How often do they work on it?

 

I have a younger child coming up and would love to use Beast but I've no idea how solid they are in this area.

 

Anyone? Thanks for the thoughts.

 

[KSinNS]

As far as I have gotten (3B) they have not specifically taught mental math (other than some multiplication and square tricks) but the problems are set up to really promote rapid mental calculations. Miss T, for whom mental math was always a struggle, is now shockingly quick and accurate. So far, I am very impressed.

[SanDiegoMom]

We have gone through BA 3A-4B.  I'm thinking Mental Math will be in the second grade level when it comes out.  That is when Singapore teachers it.  My kids did k-2 in public school, and I did a quick mental math review before we started BA.  

[Jackie]

I think BA is designed for children who naturally do mental math as well as make leaps in other areas; they do not explicitly teach it.

[LMD]

I agree with the pps. However, I found that there was plenty of practice to get quite fast for my intuitive-math girl. She did know her tables nominally before we started ba but she got good at them just by doing the practice book. She memorised the perfect squares easily!

 

I'm doing ba3 again now with my oldest son and he does need a bit more simple, drill, math facts work. Just the way he learns, needs more explicit repetition. He still loves ba and does well. Funnily enough, he often excels at the star questions that stumped his older sister!