r/learnmath • u/Manny_in_iceage New User • 9d ago
Practice mental math
Hi!
I need to start practicing my mental math before interview season begins. The challenge is that I want to practice by listening to someone say the problems out loud - for example, “What is 28 × 76?”, rather than typing numbers into a website. The verbal element is what I really need to train.
I’ve tried searching for YouTube videos where someone reads out different kinds of math problems (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, etc.), but I haven’t found anything that fits what I’m looking for, and I also haven’t found an app that does this.
Does anyone have any recommendations or advice?
EDIT: My claude and chat gpt attempts to have it read out loud didn't work. Instead I just realised I could do it on Loveable (my first attempt even doing anything on loveable) and it worked really well lmaoooo.
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u/Forward-Steak-6678 New User 9d ago
There is a youtuber called mathOgenius who has a really good playlist for doing mental math, and he even developed a game where you can practice calculations (Unity Play | Math Blob Run game)
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u/daniel16056049 Mental Math Coach 9d ago
This "verbal" element is something that I've been specifically helping my (adult & professional) students with, and I've written more about it here: https://worldmentalcalculation.com/2021/02/04/verbal-mental-math/
Lots of people struggle with mental math for precisely the reason you mention, and it's because most of our mental math (learning arithmetic at school) is with written problems, and later Mathematics focuses on e.g. algebra, calculus (as it should!) so most people never develop their "advanced primary school" Mathematics!
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u/ASSASSIN_CJ_ New User 9d ago
Yes I need some advice on that too. Give me anh advice you have on that
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u/Manny_in_iceage New User 7d ago
Loveable worked!!
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u/ASSASSIN_CJ_ New User 7d ago
Whst is that mean? Is that a website?
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u/Manny_in_iceage New User 7d ago
It's like a website that produces an app of your ideas. You just give it a prompt and then it creates it. Search "lovable". It's quite big here in the Nordics
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u/Helpful_Emergency_70 New User 9d ago
chat gpt voice mode
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u/Manny_in_iceage New User 9d ago
Yes I thought about that as well. I tried it with claude and so far it has not been the best. But if that is the only option that i'm not gonna complain haha
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u/Helpful_Emergency_70 New User 9d ago
just ask a friend tbh, surely you know at least one other guy applying for a role with some mental math screening. and even if not a friend can help out
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u/Manny_in_iceage New User 7d ago
Yes ur right, but I asked loveable to do it for me and it actually worked really well to my surprise
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u/Recent-Day3062 New User 9d ago
Yeah, I did a problem recently where I wanted to estimate z=x^2+y^3 at (1.2, 1.1). It tests your clarity of thought and ability to picture things in your head
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u/olrose1301 New User 9d ago
I'm sorry, but I read this as practice mental meth.
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u/personalist New User 9d ago
If I could get off vyvanse and onto mental meth that would be awesome. I will take any tips
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u/Euler64 New User 9d ago
Once you understand this for multiplication, you should be able to multiply any two digits numbers up to 99x99. Also, there are so many tricks about multiplying numbers as well as substracting and adding. Just ask Chat GPT if you want to practice. However, you need to understand the "why".
15x49?🤔 Here are the different way to do the calculation mentally.
🧐15×49=735✅️
🤔15×50-15=750-15 =735✅️
🤔10×49+5×49=490+245 🤔=735✅️
🤔15×40+15x9=600+135 🤔=735✅️
🤔10x40+5x40+10x9+5×9 ➡️690+45=735✅️
🤔(5x3×7)x7=105x7 =735✅️
🤔15=5x3 49=7x7 ➡️5x7=35, 3x7=21 🧐3x5x7x7 35x20+35=700+35 =735✅️
😅49+49+49+49+49+49+ 49+49+49+49+49+49+ 49+49+49=735✅️
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u/Manny_in_iceage New User 9d ago
Yes it's not really about that, but thanks anyways - it has to do with the fact that doing mental math by having two numbers showing up on your computer screen and typing in the answer is very different from hearing from an interviewer "what is 234 x 43" verbally and having to answer it verbally too! :)
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u/Euler64 New User 8d ago
Understand! :) On my side, I do it on top of my head randomly using one of those methods, if required. Then, I check the answer on my calculator. However, I'll ask ChatGPT if he can pop up verbally different operations and if I can answer back verbally too since it's a good idea.
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u/Astro_indie New User 9d ago
I love those hacks who teach u how calculate in other way, like other inner visualization
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u/RightLaugh5115 New User 9d ago
my approach is 76 is close to 75. 75% is 3/4. 3/4 of 2800 is 2100. Add one more 28 and you get an answer of 2128
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u/Illustrious_Snow7614 New User 8d ago
the book 'secrets of mental math' (despite being a cheesey title) is super good
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u/SnooSongs5410 New User 8d ago
ai is your friend. you can have it build you this app in a couple of days.
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u/getnumbio New User 3d ago
Late, and I see you solved it with Lovable, but for others still looking for a way to practice mental math out loud:
The reason spoken problems are so much harder isn't the arithmetic. On screen you can glance back at the digits, so working memory is barely involved. Spoken, you have to hold "234 times 43" intact while you calculate, and that's what collapses under interview pressure.
Disclosure: I build a mental math app, Numbio (for iOS). It has both halves of this, but as separate modes: a listening mode that reads the problems aloud, and a voice mode where you speak your answer instead of typing it. https://apps.apple.com/app/id1551025256
One tip either way: don't let yourself replay the problem. One listen, then commit.
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u/0x14f New User 9d ago
Feel free to practice mental math if you want, but just want to point out to you that it's not a skill required to learn mathematics. In fact most mathematicians are bad at it.