Comments on: Learn the Multiplication Times Tables Fast and Easy!

By: docmisty

docmisty — Sun, 20 Jun 2010 02:49:29 +0000

Thanks Brian and Heather! I appreciate the great tips and suggestions.

Misty

By: Memorize the Preamble to the Constitution.

Memorize the Preamble to the Constitution. — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 10:19:32 +0000

[...] Learn the Multiplication Times Tables Fast and Easy! [...]

By: Heather D

Heather D — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 01:17:39 +0000

This is the same approach as a book called Times Tales, which we used with great success with DS when he was 9.

In Times Tales, instead of words that sound similar to the number, the numbers themselves are personified in images… so, 7 is “Mrs Week” (because there are 7 days in a week) and she’s a big number 7, and she has various adventures… 8 is “Mrs Snowman”… The nice thing about this is that the same characters are used in each story.

9 is the treehouse (because the big number 9 looks like a tree). So, Mrs Snowman went to the Treehouse and and knocked 7 times on the 2 doors. 8×9=72.

Each story is one sentence. They reinforce with visual and aural cues, looking at just pictures and reciting the story from memory, then just reciting the story, then translating it to the math only after everything is memorized.

It literally took less than an hour to do the tables from 6-9. (At that time, it only did the upper tables because the lower ones are easier and don’t usually generate the same level of memory problems, but I think they include some lower ones now).

Anyway, a similar approach with some slight differences. I recommend the approach very highly – and like you said, AFTER they understand the concepts well and just need a little help with the final step of quick and easy recall.

By: Brian

Brian — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 06:08:51 +0000

I put up a video of How To Practice Multiplying by Two with Playing Cards on my blog recently. You might enjoy that way to teach simple multiplication, as well.
It’s a simple way to go beyond rhymes and nurture the relationship of numbers to each other. It might be a nice next step for a child.

Thanks for your interesting blog posts. I’ve just found you, and I’m sure I’ll be back.

Happy teaching!
Brian (a.k.a. Professor Homunculus at MathMojo.com )

By: Math Teachers at Play #2 « Let’s Play Math!

Math Teachers at Play #2 « Let’s Play Math! — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 11:04:22 +0000

[...] your students are struggling, check out Misty’s review of a potentially helpful resource in Learn the Multiplication Times Tables Fast and Easy!, posted at Homeschool [...]

By: Timez Attack! The best and FREE multiplication game ever!

Timez Attack! The best and FREE multiplication game ever! — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 10:04:58 +0000

[...] Learn the Multiplication Times Tables Fast and Easy! [...]

By: Misty

Misty — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 22:29:23 +0000

LOL – Funny, but I still have to count to add 7 + 5, 7 + 6, 8 + 5, and 8 + 6 – and a couple of the 7s and 8s in multiplying take me an extra few seconds.

I guess what we learn (and don’t learn well) as a kid sticks with us.

Misty

By: Sarah

Sarah — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 13:42:56 +0000

I can remember crying over those stupid multiplication flash cards…
and STILL to this day have a hard time with the 7Xs and the 8Xs…
*sigh*
This looks like much more fun!

By: Audrey

Audrey — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 12:34:56 +0000

One of the most useful skills is to memorise the times table, I use it every day. Hard to convince my 9 year old, LOL. Will have a look at the book, thanks for the link.