CALCULATION METHODS IN THE MATHEMATICS OF PRIMARY SCHOOL

Abstract

The article deals with theoretical and methodical analysis of the problem of the formation of mental calculations and their result – computational skills.  General classifications of calculation methods are determined. It has been found that to perform mental calculations a student may use not only one method of calculation but a number of ways of thinking different in theoretical foundations.

In our study, following the groups of methods of calculation identified by M. Bantova and S. Skvortsova, we attributed to each group of techniques certain techniques that are studied in elementary school.

Obviously, the addressed methods are offered in the course of mathematics in a certain sequence, following the logic of expanding the content of learning.  Therefore, in the Concentration “Ten” when performing calculations, students should have in the arsenal certain ways of thinking. They are as follows: They can act on the basis of knowledge of the composition of the number and the essence of the arithmetic actions of addition and subtraction (the first group of techniques); When adding and subtracting number 1, they can act on the basis of knowing the order of the numbers in the natural sequence (the fifth group of techniques); When adding and subtracting the numbers of the first five, children can perform the calculations in parts (the sixth group of techniques); Addition of numbers 6-9 can be carried out on the basis of the permutation law of addition (the second group of techniques); One can subtract the numbers 6-9 based on the correlation of the arithmetic actions of addition and subtraction (the second group of techniques).

In addition to the computational techniques we have analyzed, most of which are compulsory in elementary school mathematics, we also consider the need of the methods of rational calculations in our research perspective.