Year 8 students can really improve their multiplication and division skills using mental math! Here are some strategies that have worked great for me:

• Break it Down: For example, if you want to find $25 \times 4$, think of $25$ as $20 + 5$. Then do it like this:
  $(20 \times 4) + (5 \times 4) = 80 + 20 = 100$.

• Use Doubling and Halving: If you have $36 \div 2$, just cut $36$ in half to get $18$—it's super simple!

• Estimation: Rounding numbers can help too. For $49 \times 4$, you can think of it as about $50 \times 4 = 200$.

These tricks not only make math faster but also help you feel more confident!