In this article James Russo presents the Strategies, Understanding, Reading and Fast Facts Framework (SURF) for mental computation. He explains how this framework can be used to deepen mathematical understanding and build mental flexibility.

Mental computation--that is, calculating in the head--is a relatively new topic in mathematics curricula for primary-age children. It is an important skill because it enables children to learn more deeply how numbers work, make decisions about procedures, and create strategies for calculating, thus promoting number sense--a well-developed…

As part of individual interviews incorporating whole number and rational number tasks, 323 grade 6 children in Victoria, Australia were asked to nominate the larger of two fractions for eight pairs, giving reasons for their choice. All tasks were expected to be undertaken mentally. The relative difficulty of the pairs was found to be close to that…

Mathematical computation consists of both written computation and mental computation. The strategies for mental computation can be used to check the reasonableness of written computations. Mental computation has two distinguishing characteristics: "it produces an exact answer, and the procedure is performed mentally, without using external…

Drawing upon research, theory, classroom and personal experiences, this paper focuses on the development of primary-aged children's computational fluency. It emphasises the critical links between number sense and a child's ability to perform mental and written computation. The case of multi-digit multiplication is used to illustrate these…

Mathematics curriculum documents highlight the need for students to be able to choose from a repertoire of computational tools and strategies, but little direction is given as to how children choose which form of computation to use in any given situation. In this article, the author reports on the classroom implications of research designed to…

In this article, the author presents the results of a state project that focused on the effect of developing informal written computation processes through Years 2-4. The "developing computation" project was conducted in Tasmania over the two years 2002-2003 and involved nine schools: five government schools, two Catholic schools, and…

Facilitating mental computation discussion comes with its own set of challenges for researchers and teachers. It is important to be able to help capture the students' ideas, before they disappear and seem like little more than moments of magic! In enabling children to learn how numbers work, the current emphasis on mental computation is driven by…