How did you teach your child multiplication facts?

[meliss8599]

What method(s) worked best for you and your kids? Any particular books or websites or games?

When I was a kid, we memorized one set of facts at a time; for example, 0 times 1,2,3..... then 1 times 1,2,3...... then 2 times 1,2,3... You get the point.

However, DD is NOT learning it this way in school--they are learning more of the concept (grouping, arrays, etc.). DD says they will be time tested on the facts soon but it's not clear whether it will be on 1-12 or 1's one week then 2's the next, etc. so I don't know if I should teach her one fact set at a time or should we be reviewing all of them at the same time? We're currently doing all at the same time w/flash cards and I don't think it's working well.

I'm thinking I will do one fact set at a time and go from there; I'm just worried this will hurt her on the timed tests if they are in fact timed on facts1-12 and not just one set at a time.

 

[acejka]

My mom handed me the calculator and told me "honey this is all you will ever need."

Then I married a math whiz so I didn't even need that...

My grandma (who I was raised with, probably for the best... see mother's comment above) taught me the same way you learned, one group at a time.

 

[Abbie]

I'm sure there are all sorts of "new tricks" but for us the plain old-fashioned rote method was what worked. This meant drilling and drilling at all sorts of odd times, while driving in the car, waiting in line for something, anytime there was a spare minute. And flash cards, we used them a lot. The bottom line is that this is a set of memorization facts and the only way to commit something to memory is to do it over and over again. Boring, yup, but effective! All my kids know their "times tables"!

And when you think about it, the ones, twos, fives, nines (thanks to the tricks) and tens are a breeze. That means the threes, fours, sixes, sevens, and eights are really the only ones that need memorizing.

 

[Cindy B]

Well, I just spent a good portion of a month teaching 3rd graders multiplications.

The concept that my (then) district was to show was that multiplication is repeated addition. If my students did not know thier addition facts, multiplication was really rough for them.

It was easier for them to learn the 2's first. I emphasized groups. For example 2 x 2 is two groups of 2. 2 x 3 is two groups of three, etc... you get the idea.

I then went to 3's and 4's.

After they have mastered the 2's, 3's and 4's, we then went to 0 and 1. I know it sounds crazy but that is how the curriculum was set.

I played math games all the time. These games reinforced concepts and also did centers. These games and centers helped them learn so much.

ETA: My students loved using www.shepardsoftware.com There is a section on math games, and there is a multiples games (I think it is called multiples mania) Knowing the multiples will help them later.

Also think about the idea of skip counting "2, 4, 6, 8"-- this is an easy progression to multiplication. I have a home activity for skip counting if you want it.

 

[Alex2kMommy]

I remember memorizing the multiplication tables. DS8 is currently being taught in the way you describe with your DD.

First they discussed grouping objects, and counting by twos, threes, fours, etc.

When DS said they were going to be tested on multiplication, the teacher sent home a note indicating the children needed to know how to multiply by 1s through 4s for the test, so I drilled him on the multiplication tables. He had the numbers he'd be tested on down pat, so we worked on higher numbers as well. There are just a few oddball ones he misses, so when he misses one, I ask that combination another way:

Me: What's 6x9?
DS: 56.
Me: No, what's 9x6?

Sometimes he knows it one way, but not the other, so this usually works. Otherwise I'll continue with a combination close to that number:

Me: Nope, do you know 6x8?
DS: 48.
Me: And 6x9 is --
DS: Six more, that's 54.

I'll repeat the missed combination several more times as we go through other equations until he consistently gets it right off the bat.

This second method is because in 1st grade they learned a concept called "friendly numbers"; basically when adding or subtracting, if you don't know the answer, try to find a number close to it that can lead you to the correct answer. (If you don't know 6+11, try 6+10 and add one more to the answer.)

 

[DISUNC]

The same way the Sisters of (NO) Mercy taught me...MEMORIZE MEMORIZE MEMORIZE!

It also didnt hurt to happen to have a Black & White Composition Notebook turned to the back during tests!

 

[kellyg403]

Honestly? I kept a pack of flashcards and anytime and anywhere I would pull one out. In the car, in the grocery store standing in line. My oldest ds was having a really hard time with them. Funny thing was, his two sisters who were younger were able to identify and answer correctly in 1 and 2 nd grade because of it.

It did take a while but we included those multiplying skills in a lot of places too, the produce department, sitting in car, at McDonalds. For awhile it seemed like we did this as a game, but ds learned so much better by making it fun and not so stressful. He was/is not a great test taker and the pressure made him loose any information he retained. But make it a game or fun, the boy was a whiz!

Kelly

 

[sameyeyam]

Double post, sorry.

 

[sameyeyam]

I told them they already knew multiplication and division. Multiplication is really just addition, with a shortcut. Division is really just subtraction, with a shortcut. Once they understood that, it made it much simpler. There are really only two things you can do with numbers, add & subtract. All of the other fancy stuff is just a variation on the two basic things you can do with a number.

When the kids were learning multiplication I just told them:

5 x 10 is really just adding the number 5 together, 10 times. I think when they understand WHAT multiplication is, then it makes it easy to figure out how to multiply. I'm always surprised that teachers try to use various methods to teach multiplication, but never really explain to the kids that it's really just addition. Instead they act like it's some new concept.

Another thing that I taught my kids that really helped them with math...use common sense. Does your answer make sense? Always ask yourself if the answer you came up with makes sense. For instance if Johnny has 5 apples and he gives 1 apple away, but your answer is 6, does that make sense? You can't have more apples than you started with if you are giving away. The same thing with multiplication...if you have a problem like 5 x 10, would it make sense that your answer is 1,000? NO, because just common sense will tell you that five sets of 10 wouldn't be that many.

My kids always come home with complicated math problems. But we just break it down into the simple "you can only add or subtract a number, nothing else" and "does your answer make good common sense". Makes math so much easier.

If you really think about it math should be much easier than reading. Reading involves 26 characters. Math only involves 10 characters and you can only add or take away...that's it.

 

[heimlichfan]

I teach 4th grade and we use Otter Creek Mastering Math Facts. It's systematic memorization basically, but I have seen huge improvements in fact recall with my students.

A few of us started doing it about 4 years ago, and now everyone in the building does it.

http://www.oci-sems.com/Products/Pr...e=Math&pll=50100&pllName=Mastering+Math+Facts

 

[meliss8599]

Thanks everyone for your great suggestions.

My mom handed me the calculator and told me "honey this is all you will ever need."

Oh, my gosh, too funny.

I'm sure there are all sorts of "new tricks" but for us the plain old-fashioned rote method was what worked. This meant drilling and drilling at all sorts of odd times, while driving in the car, waiting in line for something, anytime there was a spare minute. And flash cards, we used them a lot. The bottom line is that this is a set of memorization facts and the only way to commit something to memory is to do it over and over again. Boring, yup, but effective!

Honestly? I kept a pack of flashcards and anytime and anywhere I would pull one out. In the car, in the grocery store standing in line.

It did take a while but we included those multiplying skills in a lot of places too, the produce department, sitting in car, at McDonalds. For awhile it seemed like we did this as a game, but ds learned so much better by making it fun and not so stressful. He was/is not a great test taker and the pressure made him loose any information he retained. But make it a game or fun, the boy was a whiz!

Kelly

Great ideas about bringing the flash cards WITH everywhere. I think I'll buy an extra set to keep in the car to use during times we're waiting (for piano lessons to start, when we're waiting for a long freight train, long car rides when I am the passenger and not the driver LOL, etc.)

I emphasized groups. For example 2 x 2 is two groups of 2. 2 x 3 is two groups of three, etc... you get the idea.

I played math games all the time. These games reinforced concepts and also did centers. These games and centers helped them learn so much.

ETA: My students loved using www.shepardsoftware.com There is a section on math games, and there is a multiples games (I think it is called multiples mania) Knowing the multiples will help them later.

Also think about the idea of skip counting "2, 4, 6, 8"-- this is an easy progression to multiplication. I have a home activity for skip counting if you want it.

DD's class is largely focusing on the grouping which I think is a good introduction to the concept. I'd love to hear more about your skip counting home activity, games, and centers as I will be taking a long-term sub position for a third grade teacher taking maternity leave and would like some more ideas for teaching multiplication.

I'll also have to visit the website you recommended.

Me: Nope, do you know 6x8?
DS: 48.
Me: And 6x9 is --
DS: Six more, that's 54.

I'll repeat the missed combination several more times as we go through other equations until he consistently gets it right off the bat.

I've been doing this a lot and it seems to be working for her.

The same way the Sisters of (NO) Mercy taught me...MEMORIZE MEMORIZE MEMORIZE!

It also didnt hurt to happen to have a Black & White Composition Notebook turned to the back during tests!

Too funny!

 

[IDoDis]

If your DD is getting the conceptual part at school (building arrays and such), then do "just the facts, ma'am -- just the facts" at home. Start with zeros, ones and twos (the zeros and ones are to add confidence ). Make two piles -- correct and incorrect. After you've gone through the cards, pick up the incorrect pile and keep working on those several more times until she gets all of them (or most).

The next day do the same thing. She may forget them, but the consistency of daily practice will help over time. Once the 0,1, and 2s are solid, flash only the 3s facts. Then, add these to the pile of 0,1, and 2s facts. Again, make 2 piles of correct and incorrect. Go back and do the incorrect ones over and over. If there's a particular fact that she just keeps forgetting, have her repeat it several times, or try to make up a story about it. Something she'll remember.

I used to do weird things like that with my DS (DD learned them on her own w/out the excessive drill). For example, on the 7X7 card, I'd pencil in a vertical line to make one of the sevens look like a 4 and then I'd lightly pencil in a loop on the other seven to make it look like a 9 (answer 49). After a few days, I was able to erase the pencil marks on the flash cards because DS could visualize the marks still being there).

Fives and 10s are easy. The 7s, 8s and 9s are the hardest. There's also some good tricks for learning the nines facts.

The 9 Times Quickie

1. Hold your hands in front of you with your fingers spread out.
2. For 9 X 3 bend your third finger down. (9 X 4 would be the fourth finger etc.)
3. You have 2 fingers in front of the bent finger (this is your tens column) and 7 after the bent finger (your ones column)
4. Thus the answer must be 27
5. This technique works for the 9 times tables up to 10.

The other trick for the nines facts is this. Say the problem is 9X7. Subtract one number from 7 and you get 6. Then find the difference between 9 and 6 which is 3. Put the two digits together and you get 63.

Try it with another number -- 9X4 -- Subtract one number from the 4 and you get 3. The difference between 9 and 3 is 6. Your answer is 36.

Granted these are tricks, but the more your DD can get these quickly, over time she'll remember and rely less on the tricks.

10 minutes a day for a month and she'll have her facts down pretty solid.


Editing to give you this link. Your DD can practice her facts online. The program will time her. My students do it twice a day. The goal is to get 20 facts within 60 seconds. Once this is done, you can add more facts.

http://mathusee.com/drill.html

 

[Pin Wizard]

Flash cards and a tape we listened to and sang along with in the car.

 

[fhtpdw20]

School House Rock is out on DVD. It is a cartoon set to music that focuses on each set of numbers of the times table (also grammar, history, and science). Song for the audio learner and shows sets for the visual learner.

 

[Ohiodislover]

Flash cards, and time drills- Old fashioned, but it worked

 

[Pixiedust34]

Learning how to skip count helped our kids when they were learning how to multiply. We learned a couple of our skip counting songs from Schoolhouse Rock and made up a couple of skip counting songs on our own.

 

[GJM]

I'm working on this with my DS - we started the easy ones first. 0, 1, 2, 5, 10 - we just finished 3 and will work on the 4's next.

I think you just need to memorize. This is how I learned in school, we use to have timed tests.

I made flash cards and did them with my DS, but I enter everything in Excel such as 2 x 2 = in random order and I would have him fill in the answers. He did better at this then the flashcards.

They use Everyday Math in his school, which I can't stand. They also teach it in groups, which I don't understand. I really think you just need to memorize them.

 

[luvmy3]

Flash cards, and time drills- Old fashioned, but it worked

This is what I am doing now with my 3rd grader. He already knows the concept now its just time to memorize. We do flash cards or time drills every night. Worked for me and dh years ago, why mess with a good thing

 

[robinb]

Flash cards don't do it for us ... neither of my daughter nor I has the patience for them.

I bought a thing called a "Learning Wrap Up" at a local teaching supply/home school store. Here it is on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Learning-Wrap-Ups-Multiplication-Wrap-Ups/dp/B0007P95JA . There is also a computer game called Timez Attack that I downloaded from here: http://www.bigbrainz.com/ . You fight monsters in a maze by answering multiplication questions. You can buy a version too ... I think it has different monsters to kill.

I read about both of these here on the DIS. My DD likes the Wrap Ups (we got the addition and subtraction ones too) and the Timez Attack game. She did become a bit frustrated with the game since she couldn't answer fast enough and got bumped back to the start a couple times.

 

[suzannen]

School House Rock is out on DVD. It is a cartoon set to music that focuses on each set of numbers of the times table (also grammar, history, and science). Song for the audio learner and shows sets for the visual learner.

School House Rock did it for us too! Only after DD knew all the songs by heart (which she learned very quickly) did the flashcards then start working for her. She's 14 now and both of us can still sing them by heart (along with the wonderful "I'm Just a Bill")!