Source: https://sg.news.yahoo.com/groom-fails-math-test-indian-bride-walks-wedding-065433753.html

Here’s one more reason to learn math!

NEW DELHI (AP) — An Indian bride walked out of her wedding ceremony after the groom failed to solve a simple math problem, police said Friday.

The bride tested the groom on his math skills and when he got the sum wrong, she walked out.

The question she asked: How much is 15 plus six?

His reply: 17.

The news may seem like a joke, but on a more serious note, the usage of calculators in Primary 5 & Primary 6 has led to a drop in the mental arithmetic standards of children in Singapore! As a tutor, I have clearly observed the difference before and after the calculator usage was introduced. Many a times, students need a calculator to calculate what is 18+15, for example. Also, 8 times 8 (mental calculation) would pose a challenge nowadays to some students ages 9-12, whereas in the past students would know it is 64 in less than a second.

What is happening is that students are getting a bit too reliant on the calculator, and hence their human calculator (a.k.a brain) has lack of training in this aspect. How to remedy it is to practice and train in more multiplication questions.

• The Multiplication Worksheet Generator listed on this page, would generate endless amount of multiplication questions for practice. Students really need to have their multiplication tables internalized for patterns questions. It makes it easier to spot patterns, if one knows their multiplication well.
• Secrets of Mental Math: The Mathemagician’s Guide to Lightning Calculation and Amazing Math Tricks is the book to refer to, to learn more mental calculation tips and tricks.