Memorizing multiplication table

[displace]

What have been your best resources for memorizing the multiplication table?  We have times tales, but DS doesn't like the stories much and is having trouble with general recall.  I may just make him watch it daily and then do worksheets daily but I'm hopeful there's a resource I missed, like songs, books, videos, websites.  We have a lot of apps for practice but he gets frustrated as he doesn't really know them yet.

 

Or maybe I should just have him do daily practice on apps and over time it will come? 

[HomeAgain]

We use the MUS approach.  Print out a chart.  Make a diagonal line down it that splits the double facts into two parts.  Shade one part.  Tell the child he/she ONLY has to learn the facts in the other part.  Start circling or highlighting the ones they already know (usually 0s, 1s, 2s, 10s).  Start working on the others one group at a time, leaving the 7s and 8s for last (at which point they only have about four facts left to memorize).  This really just helps them mentally feel more relaxed.  It's not 110 facts to learn anymore.  By the time they start working it's usually around 40.

 

We pair that up with War (first person to yell out the product gets both cards), pick up sticks, and games like Thinkin' Logs from TheToymaker.com: http://thetoymaker.com/2Toys.html

[displace]

Thanks.  DS does know some facts already, but focusing on what still needs to be learned is smarter.  We're using dreambox supplement, which is randomly doing 8's already (their approach seems to be a lot of them all at once, or maybe DS already zipped through the lower numbers).  I do remember them doing lower numbers like 2,3,4's, but then it just seemed to do 8's so now we're stalling on our supplement.  I'll look into some game implementation too, thanks for the tip. 

[J-rap]

I think just going over it and over it.  But learning tricks too, when you can.  For example, 9's.  When you multiply 9 x any number, you just take the number that is 1 less than the number you're multiplying the 9 by, and put it into the formula:  "the -1 number" + ? = 9.  Put those two numbers together and that's your answer.

 

So for example.  Let's say the problem is 9 x 5.   5-1 = 4, so that's the number you put into the equation above.  4 + ? = 9.  Well, the ? would be 5 in this case.  Because 4 + 5 = 9.  Put those two numbers, 4 and 5, together, and that's your answer:  45.  9 x 5 = 45.

 

That's how we all learned 9's in multiplication!

[Angie in VA]

Would audios help? There are a few audio sources available from skip counting tapes to AudioMemory. Definitely sample before buying. And look on YouTube.

 

ETA to add link

Edited May 27, 2016 by Angie in VA

[OneStepAtATime]

I have never been able to rote memorize my times tables.  The kids have never been able to rote memorize times tables.  Just going over them over and over and over is useless.  The connections are never strong enough to stay.  

 

What HAS helped some here is doing sort of like the MUS system.  I printed out blank, on-line, free multiplication math charts.  DD would fill in a section of that chart every day until the chart was filled.  She would start with the stuff she already knew.  Then we would pick one fact to work on.  We would play with the numbers, look at the patterns, seek out mnemonics, look for tricks like with the 9s and anything else on the internet and elsewhere that might help her to tie those numbers to something meaningful/memorable to learn that one set of facts.  Then she would fill in the chart.  Each week she would fill in more and she would use that chart for her normal math work as a reference.  Also, we used the CLE flash cards since the multiplication is on one side and the division is on the other.  Doing both in the same pass through (multiplication first, then division) for the one set of math facts, such as maybe all the 8s, helped her to see the relationship between the two.  Using manipulatives to demonstrate that relationship also helped.  Some things have stuck.  Not everything, though.  For the rest, they skip count.

 

Frankly, for some kids complete math fact fluency may not be possible.  It is not the end of the world.  I have a college degree, I run the finances for the family business and I handle paying our personal bills.  I skip count when I can't use a calculator.  It is a bit slower but it works.  I do fine.  DH does not have his math facts completely memorized but he is a very successful engineer who has great conceptual understanding of math and can do higher level math quite well.  He just uses a chart or a calculator or skip counts for the math facts.  I realize that is anecdotal but seriously. math fact memorization makes life easier but I would be more concerned about conceptual understanding than math fact fluency.  I know plenty of people who have their facts memorized that have really poor conceptual understanding.  The latter can make higher level maths exceedingly difficult.  I'm not saying everyone should just drop math fact fluency practice.  I'm saying if a student is struggling, don't stress out too badly or stress your student out trying to drill those facts into their brains.  :)  It may or may not come with time but there are ways around that issue if they never are completely successful.

[Peaceful Isle]

MUS gamma was and is a life saver here at our house. By the time they are done with the course, they have most of them memorized. My girls did better than my son with it.

[justasque]

Reducing fractions using the divisibility rules really helps.  I encourage the student to divide top and bottom by whatever factor they can see will work, then repeat until there are no more common factors, rather than trying to find the GCF.

[displace]

I think just going over it and over it.  But learning tricks too, when you can.  For example, 9's.  When you multiply 9 x any number, you just take the number that is 1 less than the number you're multiplying the 9 by, and put it into the formula:  "the -1 number" + ? = 9.  Put those two numbers together and that's your answer.

 

So for example.  Let's say the problem is 9 x 5.   5-1 = 4, so that's the number you put into the equation above.  4 + ? = 9.  Well, the ? would be 5 in this case.  Because 4 + 5 = 9.  Put those two numbers, 4 and 5, together, and that's your answer:  45.  9 x 5 = 45.

 

That's how we all learned 9's in multiplication!

 

Yes, we use that trick, and also for 5's (instead of skip counting, multiply by 10 and then halve for the answer).  I also show him if he knows a number close to a different multiplication fact it's easier to start there and then add or subtract (for instance, 12 x X = 11 x X + X). 

[displace]

Would audios help? There are a few audio sources available from skip counting tapes to AudioMemory. Definitely sample before buying. And look on YouTube.

 

ETA to add link

 

Thanks for the link.  I have her geography stuff but it seems to run together.  But if there are only a few numbers needed it could reduce confusion.  And we car commute so it's worth while.

[displace]

I have never been able to rote memorize my times tables.  The kids have never been able to rote memorize times tables.  Just going over them over and over and over is useless.  The connections are never strong enough to stay.  

 

What HAS helped some here is doing sort of like the MUS system.  I printed out blank, on-line, free multiplication math charts.  DD would fill in a section of that chart every day until the chart was filled.  She would start with the stuff she already knew.  Then we would pick one fact to work on.  We would play with the numbers, look at the patterns, seek out mnemonics, look for tricks like with the 9s and anything else on the internet and elsewhere that might help her to tie those numbers to something meaningful/memorable to learn that one set of facts.  Then she would fill in the chart.  Each week she would fill in more and she would use that chart for her normal math work as a reference.  Also, we used the CLE flash cards since the multiplication is on one side and the division is on the other.  Doing both in the same pass through (multiplication first, then division) for the one set of math facts, such as maybe all the 8s, helped her to see the relationship between the two.  Using manipulatives to demonstrate that relationship also helped.  Some things have stuck.  Not everything, though.  For the rest, they skip count.

 

Frankly, for some kids complete math fact fluency may not be possible.  It is not the end of the world.  I have a college degree, I run the finances for the family business and I handle paying our personal bills.  I skip count when I can't use a calculator.  It is a bit slower but it works.  I do fine.  DH does not have his math facts completely memorized but he is a very successful engineer who has great conceptual understanding of math and can do higher level math quite well.  He just uses a chart or a calculator or skip counts for the math facts.  I realize that is anecdotal but seriously. math fact memorization makes life easier but I would be more concerned about conceptual understanding than math fact fluency.  I know plenty of people who have their facts memorized that have really poor conceptual understanding.  The latter can make higher level maths exceedingly difficult.  I'm not saying everyone should just drop math fact fluency practice.  I'm saying if a student is struggling, don't stress out too badly or stress your student out trying to drill those facts into their brains.   :)  It may or may not come with time but there are ways around that issue if they never are completely successful.

ITA.  I'm looking into it as DS gets frustrated to have to skip count 8's, so I'm hopeful if he knows some of them by heart it will seem easier.  Our updated evals may show math fluency is not his strength and that's okay. 

[displace]

MUS gamma was and is a life saver here at our house. By the time they are done with the course, they have most of them memorized. My girls did better than my son with it.

 

I should get out our million manipulatives probably.  I'm not sure how MUS covers it, and we're early enough in the process I'm hopeful he can just memorize them.  :)

[mamiof5]

We have used multiplication wrap-up, not the book that comes with it, but just the tool for practice. We also do extra math. And I like Saxon's approach...starts with the easiest (0, 1, 10), then with 2s and 5s...by then a good chunk of the multiplication table is covered :)

[displace]

Reducing fractions using the divisibility rules really helps.  I encourage the student to divide top and bottom by whatever factor they can see will work, then repeat until there are no more common factors, rather than trying to find the GCF.

 

I'll try to remember this when we get to higher fractions :)

[Angie in VA]

Thanks for the link.  I have her geography stuff but it seems to run together.  But if there are only a few numbers needed it could reduce confusion.  And we car commute so it's worth while.

 

 

My dc have logged many hours car schooling. ;)

[Targhee]

Games. We play card games (from the RS games, to Mythmatical Battles and Earthquake, as well as other games that use multiplication but that isn't their main focus).  We also have done some video games like TimezAttack (not my favorite), and the iOS game Math Evolve.

 

And I give my kids a multiplication chart as soon as they understand multiplication and have made a chart themselves (gone through the fact families), and I let them use it whenever they need it.  Through using the facts in more meaningful, complex problems they become familiar with them.  We tried drilling, and it seemed the harder they focused the more the facts slipped out of their minds.  They stop using the multiplication chart when they no longer need it.  For one child that was 11 years old, for another is was 9 years, and my current 9 year old still uses it occasionally.  

 

ETA: My mathy child, the one who tackles hard problems with glee and gets perfect scores on her AOPS written problems, is the one who had to use the chart until 11.  Memorized facts are important, but they will come the more they are used (in context), and until then your child can still move on in math to other more interesting and meaningful things.

Edited May 28, 2016 by Targhee

[LMD]

We put them to music - usually their violin pieces. Go tell aunt rhody is the 6x lol.

After a while I do drill and coach them to trust their memory so they can use the individual facts rather than sing through the whole song.