Help with 3rd Grade Multiplication and Division
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Anonymous
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My son is in 3rd grade and I think he is struggling with the multiplication and division concepts that they are learning in school. They had an assessment the other day where they have 2 minutes to complete 40 multiplication and division problems, and my son got a D on it. He has a B so far on his interim report card, and I reached out to the teacher to express my concerns. She responded and gave me some feedback. I am looking for some suggestions on how I can work with him to master his times tables.
I've tried doing this already and he gets frustrated. Are there any techniques or games that help reinforce these concepts in a fun way? Any help would be appreciated! |
Anonymous
| Our school uses Reflex for math facts. If yours doesn’t you can buy the parent version; it is called Time 4 Math Facts. My third grader found this was the best way to memorize them. Good luck! |
Anonymous
| Maybe start with a smaller table, like thru 5x5, then expand to 6x6 and so on. |
Anonymous
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There is an app called the Flashmaster (which used to be a handheld device) that worked miracles for my boys at that age. Their CES teacher had them in his classroom and the kids reportedly fought over who got to use them during free time. So, we bought a couple for home.
https://flashmaster.com/ It's like a game where you answer math facts (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division) and "compete" against yourself to go up to increasingly-higher levels. It was so, so effective for my kids to learn to answer very fast. That in turn means they are not hampered by slow calculations when more complex math comes along. Highly recommend! |
Anonymous
Which school is this? My 3rd grader has not been graded on multiplication facts. Maybe varies from school to school |
Anonymous
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Here are some tips on the times tables. After you divide the set in half and get the multiples of 0, 1, 2, 4, 5, 9, 10, and 11 out of the way it makes memorizing what’s left a lot easier.
https://www.mathsisfun.com/multiplication-tips-tricks.html Beyond that, I recommend you get an app or computer game that looks interesting to him and let him play as much as he wants. It will provide the same instant feedback as flashcards, but he’ll actually enjoy it, do he’ll be motivated to practice more. On the off chance it’s helpful, you can try the old School House Rock videos. It’s probably inefficient, but I distinctly remember learning my 3’s from it decades ago (the other songs didn’t help at all). I’m not sure, but I think it may be available on Disney+, or you may be able to get a copy from your oublic library (Montgomery County has it). https://mcpl.aspendiscovery.org/Record/190745?searchId=5362858&recordIndex=2&page=1 |
Anonymous
| I am a 3rd grade teacher and we have not gotten to multiplication yet in the curriculum. I am a little shocked that they are this far along to the point of having to memorize the facts and recall them. Does he understand what it means to multiply? Is he able to multiple using different strategies? When he encounters word problems that need him to multiply without explicitly saying it, does he know how to do that? |
Anonymous
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Ask the teacher for resources, they usually have a ton and would appreciate you asking.
Also the teacher might be able to give you practice worksheets for home. |
Anonymous
Yes we have; they're already being covered in the sprints and fact practice pages. |
Anonymous
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I recommend Kate Snow’s Multiplication Facts That Stick. Easy games with household items along with practice worksheets.
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=kate+snow+addition+facts+that+stick&adgrpid=66960978479&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIyc3preHv-gIVgYzICh1gLw0mEAAYAiAAEgLMSfD_BwE&hvadid=580807832065&hvdev=m&hvlocphy=9052543&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=b&hvrand=14731833310776180540&hvtargid=kwd-663832031923&hydadcr=16217_13521264&tag=hydsma-20&ref=pd_sl_543homp93e_b |
Anonymous
| Also, wanted to share that as a MS teacher, our school has students working on 3rd grade math skills in IXL because they came up as deficits in MAP tests but the geometry teacher “don’t have time to go back and teach those skills”. So it sounds like the issue might be with the 3rd grade curriculum. |
Anonymous
That’s horrible. Middle schools having to do remedial third grade math. Maybe the k-5 love of “math concepts” and no drilling or memorization is biting everyone in the @$$. |
Anonymous
| I hope the teacher isn't giving grades for the Eureka Math Fluency worksheets. Those are not approved by the math office to receive grades. |
Anonymous
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worksheet genius is my suggestion! https://worksheetgenius.com/math/
Do one worksheet every morning over breakfast. Give him 1-2 minutes to answer them so it doesn't feel like he has to slog through 50 questions. And so he can see his progress. Last week, I only got 10 questions right. This week I got 17! Start easy (1x, 2x, 5x) and work up. Once a week, have him fill in the blank times table: https://www.dadsworksheets.com/charts/multiplication-chart-blank-multiplication-chart.html In 3 weeks, your child will be a math genius. Guaranteed. |
Anonymous
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Dont rely on the apps to teach math.
Reflex is a supplemental tool, not a teaching. Read the Reflex website about how the app is to be used. It is to help reinforce skills and is to be used 10 minutes a day max. My child had 100% in Reflex and “passed” multiplication yet years later still makes many easy basic multiplication and division error. We went back to paper to review and have had a lot more success. Also, start at home and TAKE YOUR TIME. Ask your child what they see when they look at the problems. If hey don’t understand try different strategies. |