My understanding of math actually evolved! I'm more comfortable with all numbers now, and sometimes when I'm doing simple addition or subtraction, it's as though the answer just appears in my brain spontaneously. This might be a great teaching tool for homeschooling children in math, because it's as though I've become a math "rain main," instantly able to blurt out the answer without even thinking about it. What gave me this vast improvement in my number skills? Online math games!
At first, it was just playing Sudoku. And technically, Sudoko isn't a math game. (I've even seen versions where the numbers in the game - one through nine - are just replaced with nine random letters.) But because you're constantly repeating the numbers to yourself - scanning through the nine-square columns, quickly counting to yourself "1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9" - you dispel whatever mystery those numbers had leftover from your third grade math class. I've heard that Sudoku is also recommended for older people as a way to keep their minds exercised and active. But once you've mastered the simple rules for Sudoku, it's time to branch out into more complicated games that actually involve some arithmetic - some games that can't be solved without many quick calculations using addition and subtraction.
I was lucky that I found several sites offering free online math game like Sudoku and it's math-related cousin: Sum-doku. Also called "Killer Sudoku," it confronts you with the same challenge - filling nine 3x3 boxes with all nine digits, no repeats. But as an added challenge, there's a smaller set of boxes within those 3x3 boxes - and you have to reach a specific sum when you add all of their digits together. I say there's subtraction involved, because obviously you'll need it when there's only one box left. (If all three boxes add up to 15, and two boxes are filled with a seven and a three, then the last box has to contain a five!) But I'd guess that it's impossible to finish this puzzle without performing at least 200 separate mathematical calculations. That's got to be a great way to improve your math skills, whether you're a grade school student, a senior citizen, or just someone who loves math!
After that, numbers just felt like the pieces in a game to me. And my friends are now impressed with how often I can blurt out the solutions to everyday math problems. (How much is the tips? What's the percentage of workdays left until the next vacation?) Online games definitely improved my ability to add and subtract very quickly. But because of that - and more importantly - it also made me love math!