memorizing multiplication tables - what worked for your kid?

[Anonymous]

I need to set up a daily routine for memorizing multiplication tables for my 3rd grader. Would love to hear what has worked well with other kids. What did you do to make it productive, fun (okay, at least not miserable), and do-able every day. Did your kid look at flash cards before breakfast or bedtime, or did you do drills in the car? Or something else?

This weekend my DC and I reviewed zero, ones, twos, fives and nines, because they are the easiest patterns. She gets it but doesn't have them all completely memorized yet. We haven't talked about the other numbers yet. At breakfast this morning she went through some flashcards. Got all of the zeros and ones right (thank God or we would really have a problem) and stumbled on some of the twos. So that's where we're at.

[Anonymous]

Counting by 2s, 3s, 4s, 5s, 6s, 7s, 8s, and 9s was key for my kids. They could not do their multiplication tables until they got really good at this.

There is a hand trick for the 9s - you hold up both of your hands and put down the finger of the number you are multiplying by. The number of fingers to the left of the down finger goes in the 10s place and the others go in the 1s place.

One other trick we used was using some type of food (m&ms usually) to make groups. So, if you are doing 3x3, you would make 3 groups of 3 and then talk about the total.

And, of course, like all parents we did/do flashcards and talk incessantly about what is 6 x 8 - same as we do with spelling words. For my kids, it was a very long process before it came naturally to them.

[Anonymous]

If she likes computer games, Timez Attack is a great one. http://www.bigbrainz.com/

There is a pay version, but we just downloaded the free version.

[Anonymous]

This idea might be old school, but in 3rd grade my teacher had tapes with songs for all the multiplication tables. I can still sing some of them. Try to google it.

[Anonymous]

Bribes. The time-tested parental solution!

[Anonymous]

some kids really really struggle. This was discussed on the special needs forum a few weeks ago and a lot of great suggestions were made, so look over there. My 4th grader still has a hard time with almost all of them and I had to get a tutor. Unfortunately, the ability to compute quickly is very important for grades 3-6 or so, until they move on to working with a calculator. Ack, the amount of time and money I've spent on this already!

I posted this on the special needs page-- I found the idea of using the chart WHILE memorizing the facts very interesting. Good luck!


Different types of math learning problems

As with students' reading disabilities, when math difficulties are present, they range from mild to severe. There is also evidence that children manifest different types of disabilities in math. Unfortunately, research attempting to classify these has yet to be validated or widely accepted, so caution is required when considering descriptions of differing degrees of math disability. Still, it seems evident that students do experience not only differing intensities of math dilemmas, but also different types, which require diverse classroom emphases, adaptations and sometimes even divergent methods.

Mastering basic number facts

Many learning disabled students have persistent trouble "memorizing" basic number facts in all four operations, despite adequate understanding and great effort expended trying to do so. Instead of readily knowing that 5+7=12, or that 4x6=24, these children continue laboriously over years to count fingers, pencil marks or scribbled circles and seem unable to develop efficient memory strategies on their own.
For some, this represents their only notable math learning difficulty and, in such cases, it is crucial not to hold them back "until they know their facts." Rather, they should be allowed to use a pocket-size facts chart in order to proceed to more complex computation, applications, and problem-solving. As the students demonstrate speed and reliability in knowing a number fact, it can be removed from a personal chart. Addition and multiplication charts also can be used for subtraction and division respectively. For specific use as a basic fact reference, a portable chart (back-pocket-size, for older students) is preferable to an electronic calculator. Having the full set of answers in view is valuable, as is finding the same answer in the same location each time since where something is can help in recalling what it is. Also, by blackening over each fact that has been mastered, overreliance on the chart is discouraged and motivation to learn another one is increased. For those students who have difficulty locating answers at the vertical/horizontal intersections, it helps to use cutout cardboard in a backward L-shape.
Several curriculum materials offer specific methods to help teach mastering of basic arithmetic facts. The important assumption behind these materials is that the concepts of quantities and operations are already firmly established in the student's understanding. This means that the student can readily show and explain what a problem means using objects, pencil marks, etc. Suggestions from these teaching approaches include:
Interactive and intensive practice with motivational materials such as games
…attentiveness during practice is as crucial as time spent
Distributed practice, meaning much practice in small doses
…for example, two 15-minute sessions per day, rather than an hour session every other day
Small numbers of facts per group to be mastered at one time
…and then, frequent practice with mixed groups
Emphasis is on "reverses," or "turnarounds" (e.g., 4 + 5/5 + 4, 6x7/7x6)
…In vertical. horizontal, and oral formats
Student self-charting of progress
…having students keep track of how many and which facts are mastered and how many more there are to go
Instruction, not just practice
…Teaching thinking strategies from one fact to another (e.g., doubles facts, 5 + 5, 6 + 6, etc. and then double-plus-one facts, 5 + 6, 6 + 7, etc.).

[Anonymous]

http://www.flashmaster.com

Pricey, but worth it. My son loved it (treated it like a Nintendo DS, LOL) and became the Class Champion at math facts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Counting by 2s, 3s, 4s, 5s, 6s, 7s, 8s, and 9s was key for my kids. They could not do their multiplication tables until they got really good at this.

I agree with the above. Time your child -- see how long it takes for her to accurately count by 3s to 30, and then have her try to increase her speed. (Give incentives for excellent progress). Have her do it while skipping rope, while walking backward. Do it with her. 3-6-9-12-15-18-21-24-27-30!! It shoudl be second nature to count by 3s.

Then... work on counting by 4s. to 40.

Count by 5s to 50 -- that's usually quite easy of course.

Count by 6s to sixty -- that's getting harder. She should see that it is related to counting by 3s though.

[Anonymous]

mathmastery.com I think it's about $10/month and we used it for 6 months. The cyber challenge portion is free, I think.

[Anonymous]

no more than ten minutes in a sitting.

[Anonymous]

Good old fashioned drills at school and flashcards at home. We kept flashcards in the car to use at restaurants while waiting, etc.

My kids do timed tests at school (working to 100 problems in 3 min at the end of 3rd grade and in 2 mins in 4th) By then they really know their facts cold.

[Anonymous]

My kid would never have gone for flashcards at restaurants. Isn't that supposed to be a fun family time? (and don't tell me flashcards are more fun than just plain talking)

[Anonymous]

It's just for 5 minutes or so. Memorization of math facts is REALLY important, and a lot of people don't have time to work wit their kids except after 5:00 or so, or on weekends. You have to squeeze it in when you can.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Counting by 2s, 3s, 4s, 5s, 6s, 7s, 8s, and 9s was key for my kids. They could not do their multiplication tables until they got really good at this.

There is a hand trick for the 9s - you hold up both of your hands and put down the finger of the number you are multiplying by. The number of fingers to the left of the down finger goes in the 10s place and the others go in the 1s place.

One other trick we used was using some type of food (m&ms usually) to make groups. So, if you are doing 3x3, you would make 3 groups of 3 and then talk about the total.

And, of course, like all parents we did/do flashcards and talk incessantly about what is 6 x 8 - same as we do with spelling words. For my kids, it was a very long process before it came naturally to them.

There are good SchoolHouse Rock multiplication table cartoons/songs for these skip patterns. My 4 year old learned the 3s easily just from listening to the CD over and over. Google it.

[Anonymous]

Do a search on math manipulatives. Some kids need a hands-on approach to learning abstract concepts.

I actually purchased an abacus for my daughter so that she could learn how to add and subtract. It's worked very well for her.