Speed calculation · lesson 5 of 25 · free

Running totals — Speed Calculation

A cricket scorer keeps one total and adds each run as it comes. You can add a list of 2-digit numbers the same way: hold the total in your head, add the tens of the next number, then its ones.

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The fast method

Keep a running total — “add each new number to what you have, tens first”

  1. Start with the first number.
  2. Add the tens of the next number, then its ones.
  3. Keep going until the list ends — only one total in your head at a time.

Use it for: Adding a shopping list, cricket scores over by over, and marks across subjects.

Worked example: 34 + 27 + 45 + 18 = 124

  1. 34 + 20 = 54, + 7 = 61.
  2. 61 + 40 = 101, + 5 = 106.
  3. 106 + 10 = 116, + 8 = 124.

Check: (34 + 45) + (27 + 18) = 79 + 45 = 124 ✓

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✓ Written and checked by the TalentJR team · Updated 13 Oct 2026 · How we make our lessons

✏️ Practice

Work it out in your head or on paper, then tap your answer — or type it and press Check. Stuck? Press “Show me how”.

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🏁 Lesson 5 test

20 questions. Check each answer, then go to the next one. Get 16 or more right to pass — and beat the clock: finish within 4 min.

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🖨️ Mental Addition Worksheet

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