Reddit reviews Building Powerful Numeracy for Middle and High School Students

Use number strings or number talks. These are mental math teaching strategies. In number strings you can talk about rounding to friendlier numbers (like multiples of 10 or doubling) for subtraction and then compensating. You can do the same thing for multiplication. After all, when most of us multiply 17 by 19 we don't use the algorithm, we multiply 17 by 20 then we subtract 17 (or -20 and add 3).


This books are useful
http://www.amazon.com/Building-Powerful-Numeracy-Middle-Students/dp/0325026629

And www.numberstrings.com

We can talk via email if you need more ideas. This has been my pedagogical focus. Incorporating numeracy into algebra.

We often ask our 9th graders to show how to add, multiply, subtract, etc. in more than one way. They often prefer algorithms but they have difficulty making sense with what they actually mean and how they transfer into algebraic thinking. I do have to say over time, they get better at the multiple ways of performing operations.

People who are good at number sense and mental math often don't waste time with algorithms.

I would recommend picking up this book and spending 5-10 minutes a day doing number strings:
http://www.amazon.com/Building-Powerful-Numeracy-Middle-Students/dp/0325026629

You can also pick up "Lessons and Activities for Building Powerful Numeracy" which has handouts/worksheets and sample discussions with students.

You can basically look for anything else that is written by Pamela Weber Harris or Catherine Fosnot.