Will filling in a blank 10x10 multiplication table a few times a week teach multiplication?

[Anonymous]

Filling in a chart is a good way for your child to realize there aren't actually that many to memorize.

So a 10 x 10 chart has 100 squares. If you fill in the 1's (both across and down), 2's, 5's, 10's and then teach the all the tricks for the 9's that is 75 spaces filled in!

So that leaves only 25 squares to memorize. I would not do screens. Most math is done with pencil and paper. You want your child to be able to quickly and effortlessly write down an answer without giving it much thought.

I taught third grade for years and every year I did daily multiplication tests. Students had homework on whatever number you were studying that required them to complete 100 multiplication problems to complete (so if you were studying the 3's you had 100 problems - some set up vertical and some horizontal). Then you took a timed test the next day on that number. You pass and you go on to the next number, you don't pass you do another 100 problems for homework. Students took the test right before lunch and as I ate lunch I grades the tests then put the correct homework sheet in their cubbies to take home.

Once a month I had them fill in multiplication tables of which ones they had mastered to keep them encouraged.

By the end of the year out of around 25 students 23-24 were completely solid on any multiplication problem 1-10. This was at a poor school with many parents who hadn't graduated high school and/or didn't speak English. This was the only math homework that was mandatory. All the parents appreciated this homework and would ask me why their older kids didn't have teachers who made them memorize their multiplication tables.

The top students eventually moved on to division then reducing fractions and the top 1-3 students memorizing the most common/useful exponents.

I would have students come back every year and tell me how well they were doing in math.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Filling in a chart is a good way for your child to realize there aren't actually that many to memorize.

So a 10 x 10 chart has 100 squares. If you fill in the 1's (both across and down), 2's, 5's, 10's and then teach the all the tricks for the 9's that is 75 spaces filled in!

So that leaves only 25 squares to memorize. I would not do screens. Most math is done with pencil and paper. You want your child to be able to quickly and effortlessly write down an answer without giving it much thought.

I taught third grade for years and every year I did daily multiplication tests. Students had homework on whatever number you were studying that required them to complete 100 multiplication problems to complete (so if you were studying the 3's you had 100 problems - some set up vertical and some horizontal). Then you took a timed test the next day on that number. You pass and you go on to the next number, you don't pass you do another 100 problems for homework. Students took the test right before lunch and as I ate lunch I grades the tests then put the correct homework sheet in their cubbies to take home.

Once a month I had them fill in multiplication tables of which ones they had mastered to keep them encouraged.

By the end of the year out of around 25 students 23-24 were completely solid on any multiplication problem 1-10. This was at a poor school with many parents who hadn't graduated high school and/or didn't speak English. This was the only math homework that was mandatory. All the parents appreciated this homework and would ask me why their older kids didn't have teachers who made them memorize their multiplication tables.

The top students eventually moved on to division then reducing fractions and the top 1-3 students memorizing the most common/useful exponents.

I would have students come back every year and tell me how well they were doing in math.

Can you explain how you had 100 problems of only the set they were studying? So for 3 times tables you would do 3x0 to 3x12 (13 problems) and the 0x 3 to 12x 3 equivalent problems (another 13 problems). That’s only 26 problems. So you would have most of the problems actually show up on the same homework set of 100 problems 8 times?

[Anonymous]

Flash cards -- flash cards -- flash cards

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Filling in a chart is a good way for your child to realize there aren't actually that many to memorize.

So a 10 x 10 chart has 100 squares. If you fill in the 1's (both across and down), 2's, 5's, 10's and then teach the all the tricks for the 9's that is 75 spaces filled in!

So that leaves only 25 squares to memorize. I would not do screens. Most math is done with pencil and paper. You want your child to be able to quickly and effortlessly write down an answer without giving it much thought.

I taught third grade for years and every year I did daily multiplication tests. Students had homework on whatever number you were studying that required them to complete 100 multiplication problems to complete (so if you were studying the 3's you had 100 problems - some set up vertical and some horizontal). Then you took a timed test the next day on that number. You pass and you go on to the next number, you don't pass you do another 100 problems for homework. Students took the test right before lunch and as I ate lunch I grades the tests then put the correct homework sheet in their cubbies to take home.

Once a month I had them fill in multiplication tables of which ones they had mastered to keep them encouraged.

By the end of the year out of around 25 students 23-24 were completely solid on any multiplication problem 1-10. This was at a poor school with many parents who hadn't graduated high school and/or didn't speak English. This was the only math homework that was mandatory. All the parents appreciated this homework and would ask me why their older kids didn't have teachers who made them memorize their multiplication tables.

The top students eventually moved on to division then reducing fractions and the top 1-3 students memorizing the most common/useful exponents.

I would have students come back every year and tell me how well they were doing in math.

Can you explain how you had 100 problems of only the set they were studying? So for 3 times tables you would do 3x0 to 3x12 (13 problems) and the 0x 3 to 12x 3 equivalent problems (another 13 problems). That’s only 26 problems. So you would have most of the problems actually show up on the same homework set of 100 problems 8 times?

I think this is the same version put the edition I had I think the publisher was Garlic Press.
https://www.rempub.com/multiplication-straight-forward-math-series

I only taught 0-9 at first. 10's and 11's are so easy and then the 12's I taught after 0-9. So the problems were a mix of 0 X 3 through 9 X 3. That is 10 problems. Those ten problems were mixed and repeated ten times for 100 problems. I made my own quiz sheet for each number. They had 18 problems in 40 seconds.
I wrote a master copy 0 x ___. 9 x ______. 4 x _________

3
x ___

There were 9 vertical and 9 horizontal. Before the 40 seconds started I had students write in the number they were working on. The review sheet was timed differently. There were sometimes kids who needed a few extra seconds so I sometimes did the test during math rotations and without letting them know I would add a few seconds to keep them motivated and progressing.

There are people who say their kids could never learn their times table but when I would ask did any teacher systematically go through and practice every day they would say no. 95% of third graders I taught (these were all FARM students) were successful by the end of the year. Some needed to keep practicing in 4th to retain their speed and accuracy while others were solid once they learned it.

I had parents ask me if whatever sheet their child was on could I send another copy home so their older children could learn them. Learning times tables is so universal and whatever country their parents were from the parents recognized the importance of this skill. It was homework that every parent knew their child had, every child could independently complete this math homework, and students saw if they studied and worked hard they would succeed at this task. I made a really, really big deal when they passed the final test. I invited their family to come in at the start of the school day for 5 minutes and took a picture of the family. I bought the students favorite donut and bought donut holes for all the other students, said a few positive words about the student and gave them a certificate.

Again, I will say don't do screens to learn them. So much of school math is still pencil and paper. There is a benefit of actually writing the answer that is helpful for not just learning but developing an automaticity in writing them quickly and accurately. There was a second grade teacher who did addition and subtraction fluency practice just like I did. The kids who had that teacher and then came to me really did well in upper elementary math.

[Anonymous]

Yes, it helps but it won't do the whole job. Songs, finger tricks, flashcards too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Filling in a chart is a good way for your child to realize there aren't actually that many to memorize.

So a 10 x 10 chart has 100 squares. If you fill in the 1's (both across and down), 2's, 5's, 10's and then teach the all the tricks for the 9's that is 75 spaces filled in!

So that leaves only 25 squares to memorize. I would not do screens. Most math is done with pencil and paper. You want your child to be able to quickly and effortlessly write down an answer without giving it much thought.

I taught third grade for years and every year I did daily multiplication tests. Students had homework on whatever number you were studying that required them to complete 100 multiplication problems to complete (so if you were studying the 3's you had 100 problems - some set up vertical and some horizontal). Then you took a timed test the next day on that number. You pass and you go on to the next number, you don't pass you do another 100 problems for homework. Students took the test right before lunch and as I ate lunch I grades the tests then put the correct homework sheet in their cubbies to take home.

Once a month I had them fill in multiplication tables of which ones they had mastered to keep them encouraged.

By the end of the year out of around 25 students 23-24 were completely solid on any multiplication problem 1-10. This was at a poor school with many parents who hadn't graduated high school and/or didn't speak English. This was the only math homework that was mandatory. All the parents appreciated this homework and would ask me why their older kids didn't have teachers who made them memorize their multiplication tables.

The top students eventually moved on to division then reducing fractions and the top 1-3 students memorizing the most common/useful exponents.

I would have students come back every year and tell me how well they were doing in math.

Can you explain how you had 100 problems of only the set they were studying? So for 3 times tables you would do 3x0 to 3x12 (13 problems) and the 0x 3 to 12x 3 equivalent problems (another 13 problems). That’s only 26 problems. So you would have most of the problems actually show up on the same homework set of 100 problems 8 times?

I think this is the same version put the edition I had I think the publisher was Garlic Press.
https://www.rempub.com/multiplication-straight-forward-math-series

I only taught 0-9 at first. 10's and 11's are so easy and then the 12's I taught after 0-9. So the problems were a mix of 0 X 3 through 9 X 3. That is 10 problems. Those ten problems were mixed and repeated ten times for 100 problems. I made my own quiz sheet for each number. They had 18 problems in 40 seconds.
I wrote a master copy 0 x ___. 9 x ______. 4 x _________

3
x ___

There were 9 vertical and 9 horizontal. Before the 40 seconds started I had students write in the number they were working on. The review sheet was timed differently. There were sometimes kids who needed a few extra seconds so I sometimes did the test during math rotations and without letting them know I would add a few seconds to keep them motivated and progressing.

There are people who say their kids could never learn their times table but when I would ask did any teacher systematically go through and practice every day they would say no. 95% of third graders I taught (these were all FARM students) were successful by the end of the year. Some needed to keep practicing in 4th to retain their speed and accuracy while others were solid once they learned it.

I had parents ask me if whatever sheet their child was on could I send another copy home so their older children could learn them. Learning times tables is so universal and whatever country their parents were from the parents recognized the importance of this skill. It was homework that every parent knew their child had, every child could independently complete this math homework, and students saw if they studied and worked hard they would succeed at this task. I made a really, really big deal when they passed the final test. I invited their family to come in at the start of the school day for 5 minutes and took a picture of the family. I bought the students favorite donut and bought donut holes for all the other students, said a few positive words about the student and gave them a certificate.

Again, I will say don't do screens to learn them. So much of school math is still pencil and paper. There is a benefit of actually writing the answer that is helpful for not just learning but developing an automaticity in writing them quickly and accurately. There was a second grade teacher who did addition and subtraction fluency practice just like I did. The kids who had that teacher and then came to me really did well in upper elementary math.

Very helpful. Thank you. Wish my teachers had done this way back when.

[Anonymous]

Another little trick is to play Multiplication by heart (available on Spotify) when in the car. Get the kid to sing along. Over time they will memorize that way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, but make it up to 12.

15 is better!

Baby steps!

[Anonymous]

I taught multiplication tables to both my kids when they were in 2nd grade.

I used a combo of things to teach them -
- Traditional recitation techniques, including setting some tables to song tunes.
- Multiplication hacks for 1, 2, 3, 5, 9, 10, 11, 15. check out youtube
- Wrap around multiplication key - https://www.amazon.com/LEARNING-WRAP-UPS-SELF-CORRECTING-Multiplication-Correcting/dp/B0007P95JA/?th=1
- Blank 12x12 multiplication tables

[Anonymous]

As someone who loves math, got an engineering degree- I really struggled with the memorization of these. It is not math, but something to remember. Tricks helped me more (multiplying by nine always adds to nine) and skip counting

[Anonymous]

I think flash cards are better because you want to take the numbers out of sequence.

Remembering something like 8, 16, 24, etc... is different from remembering 8×7 on its own, but in testing and real life, that's what you encounter.

[Anonymous]

22:44, you sound awesome!

I love that the homework was routine and predictable, and you worked on parent buy-in!

[Anonymous]

Flash cards are how I learned.

[Anonymous]

Why are people making it so complicated? Holy smokes. Flash cards. I hate math and have always been horrible at it but I never forgot my multiplication tables.

[Anonymous]

They need to learn the math facts, so this will accomplish that.

Of course they also need to understand what multiplication is outside of just memorizing that. I think they do a really good job in now school of teaching it many ways. But of course that leaves less time to practice to rote memorizing of the facts. We definitely found we needed support at home and for longer than we thought. We'd think our kid was good because they could fill out a math sheet of problems, but we really needed to do that routinely for the entire school year.