Why Some Students Excel at Mental Maths While Others Need Support

Some students seem to pick up mental maths with ease, chatting through sums in their head before the rest of the class has even reached for their pens. Others find it far more challenging, often needing more time or written methods to work out their answers. This contrast raises an important question: why do some students thrive in mental maths while others struggle?

It’s not about ability alone. The way students learn, their experiences with maths early on, and even their confidence levels all play a role. Recognising what helps or holds a student back is the first step in giving them the right kind of support. When students get targeted help that fits how they think, their skills and confidence often grow together.

Understanding Mental Maths And Why It Matters

Mental maths is the ability to solve problems in your head without using paper, a calculator, or other tools. It involves rapid recall of number facts, simple calculations, and strategies like rounding or breaking numbers down. While often linked to the classroom, it’s just as useful outside school. Working out the right coins for a bus fare, comparing prices at the shop, or figuring out how long until dinner all lean on mental maths.

To do well with it, a student has to unlock multiple parts of their brain at once. Mental maths draws on working memory, number sense, and sometimes even visualisation skills. For example, to solve 27 + 16 mentally, a student might break it into 27 + 3 = 30, then add the remaining 13 to reach 43. That takes flexible thinking and the ability to hold numbers in the mind while changing them around.

Quick thinking isn't always about speed, either. A slower but accurate maths thinker may still have good mental strategies, just with a different pace or style.

Why Some Students Shine in Mental Maths

There isn’t one reason kids get good at mental maths. It usually comes from a combination of factors that support how they take in and process numbers.

Here are some common influences that contribute to strong mental maths skills:

- Natural comfort with numbers: Some learners have an easier time spotting patterns or estimating quantities. It feels intuitive.

- Early and regular exposure: Games at home, counting in everyday settings, or trick questions during car rides make number work feel normal and low-pressure.

- Supportive learning styles: When early maths is explained in a way that makes sense to the student using visuals, stories, or movement, it often sticks better.

- A positive attitude: If a student believes they can improve and isn’t afraid of wrong answers, they’re more likely to take risks and try mental strategies.

One pupil shared that their parent used to quiz times tables during tea prep, not in a strict way, but just casually while stirring the pot. That habit stuck, and now mental recall feels second nature.

Sometimes it’s just about practice without pressure. The more relaxed a student feels with numbers, the more freely they explore different methods in their head.

What Holds Some Students Back With Mental Maths

At the same time, some learners feel blocked when asked to work out sums mentally. This doesn’t mean they’re bad at maths, only that there are barriers that need to be unpacked.

Here are a few common challenges:

- Anxiety and fear of getting it wrong: Some students freeze when asked a quick maths question, afraid they’ll make a mistake in front of others.

- Gaps in core number knowledge: If number bonds or tables weren’t properly learned earlier, new sums feel confusing and hard to manage mentally.

- Not enough mental practice: Most classrooms balance written, practical, and mental maths. Students who don’t often use their mental skills may feel out of the loop.

- Different teaching styles: If mental maths was only shown one way that didn’t suit the student’s thinking, they might miss out on strategies that would have helped.

Helping these students doesn’t require a full reset, just thoughtful steps that meet them where they are. Once they’re in a space where mistakes are okay and concepts are broken into small, clear chunks, many start to realise they’re capable after all.

How a Maths Tutor in Aylesbury Can Help Build Mental Maths Confidence

When a student struggles with mental maths, targeted and consistent support can make a big difference. Working with a maths tutor in Aylesbury provides that extra space to explore problems at a pace that works for the student. There’s room to ask questions without pressure and to try different approaches until one feels right.

One-to-one tutoring allows for personalised learning that builds around the learner, not the other way round. A tutor can spot early on where a student is getting stuck. That might be with number bonds, times tables, or choosing the right approach. Once identified, the tutor can break these concepts down and rebuild them in a way that suits how the student learns best.

Support isn’t just about problem-solving. It's often about mindset. Students who feel like they’re failing at mental maths might avoid it altogether in lessons or freeze when asked a verbal question. A good tutor helps gently shift that thinking, showing students that mistakes are part of learning, not proof that they can’t do it.

Here’s how steady support can help:

- Builds skills through repetition and regular use of mental strategies, not drills

- Reduces maths anxiety by giving students space to practise without judgement

- Reinforces knowledge gaps from earlier years, stopping the same struggles from repeating

- Works with the student’s pace and style instead of rushing towards a fixed outcome

- Fosters a more positive outlook by celebrating progress, no matter how small

Having even just one hour a week to explore concepts, talk through reasoning, and try mental strategies can completely change a student’s relationship with maths.

Encouraging a Balanced Maths Approach at Home and in School

It's easy to focus on speed in maths, especially when mental recall is tested in school settings. But maths isn’t just quick sums and fast answers. It's about understanding how numbers work and spotting patterns. A balanced approach helps students feel more prepared and less pressured.

Students benefit most when their learning covers different styles—written calculations for accuracy, practical tasks to link maths to real-life situations, and mental work that boosts flexibility. This mix means they don’t rely too heavily on one method and are instead ready for all sorts of tasks.

Parents and teachers can encourage this type of learning with some simple changes:

- Include maths in everyday life like cooking, shopping, and planning trips, and talk through the sums

- Make time for games that involve thinking with numbers, like dominoes, snap, or card games

- Remind students that mental maths isn’t a race; accuracy and understanding come first

- Help them spot different ways to solve the same problem, and let them explain their thinking

By making maths feel natural and useful, rather than just a classroom subject, students start using it more confidently. The more they’re exposed to different ways of thinking, the easier it becomes to switch between them when needed.

Helping Students Feel Capable in Maths

Mental maths can feel stressful for some and exciting for others, but every student has the chance to grow their skills with the right help. Being quick isn't the only mark of a strong maths thinker. What matters more is showing flexible thinking, recognising number patterns, and having the confidence to try.

Support doesn’t always mean a complete overhaul. It’s about small changes layered over time – asking the right questions, providing space to practise, and acknowledging every win. Those changes can build a foundation that stays strong through secondary school and beyond.

When students feel capable and supported, they often surprise themselves. Their maths confidence shows up not just in scores, but in class discussions, homework, and everyday decisions. That shift from nervous to capable is worth working towards, no matter where the starting point is.

If your child needs a boost in confidence and skills, working with a maths tutor in Aylesbury can provide the patient guidance and tailored strategies that make all the difference. Learn how Elite Tutelage supports lasting progress through engaging, one-to-one sessions designed to bring out your child’s full potential. Give your child the confidence to tackle mental maths with ease by exploring our specialised tutoring options today.