My DC can't learn her multiplication tables, should I just give up?

[Anonymous]

My 4th grade DD has low processing speed. After extensive practice (like daily for 2 years) she STILL does not have a good grasp of her multiplication tables. She has no problems with the easier ones like 2's 5's and 10's, but frequently misses all others. There are times when she had them all memorized, such as when we're focusing on one of the tables, but it just doesn't stick. We have tried all types of games, apps, programs; tried focusing on one table at a time plus a mix of all the facts, and she still doesn't have them. I am completely frustrated and don't think I can keep doing this with her. Should I just give up and accept the fact that she can't learn her multiplication tables and will probably always be an abysmal math student?

[Anonymous]

We are in the same situation here with our 4th grader. Her teacher taught them some songs that helped her with a few of them. There is an easy finger trick for the 9s tables, those things help her.

[Anonymous]

Same here.

My son with extremely low processing speed was finally diagnosed with severe ADHD at the beginning of 5th grade after a disastrous 4th grade year. The psychologist who diagnosed him actually said he had two learning disabilities stemming from the ADHD: a math LD (dyscalculia) centering on problematic recall of math facts, and a writing LD (dysgraphia) centering on poor coordination.

We medicated him, and his math skills and writing improved significantly, as did his social skills.
The stimulant boosts his working memory and processing speed.

[Anonymous]

Can she figure them out fairly well but just doesn't have instant recall?

Some ideas: try looking on math and homeschool sites for shortcuts from the "easy tables" to the harder ones.

Also, there is a series (sorry, don't remember the name but you should be able to find) that has stories/pictures that are memory aides for the facts. ("Classroom number 7 celebrated 3 birthdays and the teacher brought 21 cupcakes"-only somehow more memorable than that and with a memorable picture which includes the numbers.) obviously not a replacement for understanding the concept or working with flash cards but for kids who really struggle with this can be helpful.

Good luck!

[Anonymous]

Have you tried Kumon? We went to a center but you could do it on your own. What's nice is they start at addition and builds up their confidence even if it is hey I know 1 + 1 ! My daughter went to kumon for two years and she went through addition, subtraction, multiplication and halfway through division. My daughter before she started couldn't do a time multiplication test but after she did really well. If all else fails, perhaps she could have an IEP that allows her to use a calculator?

Good luck!

[Anonymous]

Would it help DD in terms of "pressure" if you wrote it into her IEP that she can use a calculator for math as needed?

[Anonymous]

We had this exact same situation. DD is now a sophomore in HS. What really helps is that in 6th grade or so calculators are used regularly in class and that "fixes" it. She still doesn't have a good grasp.

We did a bunch of things -- 1) a game on the ipad where they start with 1s, 2s and gradually work up. It probably helped some. 2) I got her a "FlashMaster" which is a handheld game like a Gameboy but just for math facts. Probably helped a bit.

Something that I think might have helped was just spending time explaining the relationship between certain numbers. For example, the fives -- always ending in 0 or 5. so if a number ends in 0 or 5 it can be divided by 5. then kind of guessing what the other number could be. These kids have NO MATH SENSE EITHER. They just don't see the relationships. I wish I'd taught her more in a narrative fashion because she remembers stories, plots, etc. forever. Or that the school had...

When I was a 5th grader our teacher taught us to chant the products for each multiplier like a football call. For example, "five, ten, fifteen, twenty.... and then HIKE!" I can still do the 9s.

Basically it's a slog and nothing is perfect. I'd be careful to make too much of a deal about it because in a year or two she'll get a calculator anyway. Make sure you have her tested and get an IEP or 504 that allows for calculator use at all times, including standardized testing. GL!

[Anonymous]

My kid has the same problem, and so did I. We are both dyslexic, so it isn't surprising. The thing to remember is that being able to memorize math facts has no relationship to your kid's ability to do and understand math. But your kid (and my kid) will need accomodations to be able to keep up in math, because if they have to calculate 7x6 each time it comes up they will be too slow to work through complicated problems. But a calculator will make the problem practically go away. My kid found out that Siri can answer all multiplication questions and that blew him away. He also is allowed to have the multiplication table in front of him while doing his homework or work in class, so while he is slower than others he isn't totally stuck. Good luck, OP!

Oh, and I was the same as your kid - I still don't have my facts down. And yet I completed high level stats classes in grad school and work with data for a living.

[Anonymous]

I'm poster with sophomore DD in HS. I should say that DD was diagnosed with both ADHD and also a math learning disorder. She calculates at about the 5th grade level.

[Anonymous]

I posted earlier with a couple suggestions but wanted to second what some other pps have said--even if math facts are never at her fingertips and/or she needs accommodations that in no way means she will be "an abysmal math student" or that you should give up! I know it's tough especially with so much focus on testing and all STEM all the time but a specific difficulty like this can be worked around-good luck!

[Anonymous]

You can try just showing her how multiplication works by adding. 2x2= 4, there are two 2s, would be 2+2. 2x3 = 6, there are three 2s, would be 2+2+2 and so on. At least if she has a grasp on addition she can figure multiplication out slowly. Eventually she will memorize it and if she forgets, she can take the ones she does memorize and add to it. Say she knows 2x2 is 4 but forgets 2x3 is 6 she will know that it's just one more 2 from what she's got memorized. Or if it's 2x4 then it's two more 2s if you get what I'm saying. I think kids get a better grasp at things if they understand why it happens rather than simply memorizing it because it gives them a chance to figure it out. Once she has it down then start using flash cards. Confidence is key.

To this day I find myself doing it occasionally. Say I'm calculating 12x13 in my head. I have memorized numbers squared up to 12 so I know 12x12 is 144 and I'll just add another 12 to get 156. Even though it might be faster to just multiply it, I sometimes feel more confident doing it that way. Sounds silly but just weird methods to do the same thing.

Good luck!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You can try just showing her how multiplication works by adding. 2x2= 4, there are two 2s, would be 2+2. 2x3 = 6, there are three 2s, would be 2+2+2 and so on. At least if she has a grasp on addition she can figure multiplication out slowly. Eventually she will memorize it and if she forgets, she can take the ones she does memorize and add to it. Say she knows 2x2 is 4 but forgets 2x3 is 6 she will know that it's just one more 2 from what she's got memorized. Or if it's 2x4 then it's two more 2s if you get what I'm saying. I think kids get a better grasp at things if they understand why it happens rather than simply memorizing it because it gives them a chance to figure it out. Once she has it down then start using flash cards. Confidence is key.

To this day I find myself doing it occasionally. Say I'm calculating 12x13 in my head. I have memorized numbers squared up to 12 so I know 12x12 is 144 and I'll just add another 12 to get 156. Even though it might be faster to just multiply it, I sometimes feel more confident doing it that way. Sounds silly but just weird methods to do the same thing.

Good luck!

I have been pleased that they actually teach things this way now in school, which they didn't when I was a kid. Actually makes me glad for the new Common Core standards, which include this understanding. Even though my kid can't memorize his math facts, he knows how to do the math. He knows what 6x7 MEANS. And in the end, that is a much more useful thing than just having the facts. Ideally one would have them both...but we don't get everything!

[Anonymous]

1. I have severe learning disabilities. I am 39 years old and can't write in script. It was actually in my IEP to excuse me from turning in work written in script. I can sign my name. If I ever "need" to write something in script I have to look up how to make the letters. And then it looks awful. So, maybe it's okay to give up.

2. Take a break from it. Every day for two years doesn't give the brain time to mature. You think you can't miss a day because she'll forget everything. But there have been concepts my brain just could NOT grasp one year that it could grasp later on.

[Anonymous]

1st, I don't think you really need to totally memorize multiplication facts but you need to know how to get the answer. Your child can learn, but maybe can't memorize... and recall quickly.

Print the tables.... like this one.... https://www.mathsisfun.com/definitions/multiplication-tables.html

You will see she already know 1, 2, 5, 10... mark them in Green highlighter to show her how much she already knows, columns and rows.

Learn 11, they are easy. 11x4=44

then

Learn 4.... trick, she can count by 2's so touch your wrist, say 2, top of thumb (1st digit), say 4 (4x1=4), skin between thumb and finger, say 6, then top of finger, say 8, (2x4=8), then between fingers, 10, top 12 (3x4 =12), each bottom number you ignore, each top # is 4 times the digit you touched.

then

Tricks for 9

hold your hands out, palms up.

starting from the left, your left thumb should be the 1st digit.

9x4.... count 4 digits (left to right)..... ring finger on left hand, lower that finger to your palm, you have 3 fingers left to the left of the finger and 6 left on the right side of that finger.... answer is 36

9x5... count 5 digits over, pinkie on left hand, lower that finger to your palm, you have 4 to the left, 5 to the right... answer 45


I don't have a trick for 3, 6, 7, 8 but since you know 0, 1, 2, 4, 5, 9, 10 and 11 all you need to memorize is..

3x3
3x6
3x7
3x8
6x6
6x7
6x8
7x7
7x8
8x8

You only have to memorize 10 more.

She should try to memorize the diagonal, knowing squares will help her with algebra, so that only leaves 6 to memorize.

Here is a hint for 8x8=64... i ate (8) and ate (8) and got sick (6) on the floor (4).

Now you only have 5 to memorize.

Signed, Math Geek

[Anonymous]

I just fell deeply in love with Math Geek. You have just made my summer!!

---NP, Mom to rising 2nd Grader, who was given explicit instructions to lock-in the multiplication table this summer.