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Abstract
Some of the approaches used by children when calculating mentally involve a flexible and inferential use of number knowledge. These approaches are often called ‘strategies’, and it is a reasonable ambition for teaching to enhance children's skill in this area. But what exactly does effective performance of this kind involve? This paper considers to what extent children's mental calculation ‘strategies’ are-in any meaningful sense-strategic, and explores the implications for teaching mental calculation, including the viability of direct instruction in ‘strategies’.