Mastering multiplication is a critical milestone for every child, but getting a kid to learn 144 new equations can seem daunting. Don't worry We have gathered a list of 7 easy tools to teach multiplication tables to make teaching multiplication and mastering the multiplications tables simple and fun.
Note: Make sure your child has proficiency in addition prior to trying to learn multiplication. If they can not answer "What's 8 + 8?" from memory quickly, then have them develop addition proficiency first. We recommend using Math Ace 1st Grade for iPad or iPhone.
1. Introduce multiplication as repeated addition
Before students can master the multiplication tables, they require a good understanding of what exactly multiplication is. Show your children this brief overview video describing how multiplication is the same as repeated addition.
2. Fill out a printed multiplication table
A terrific way for children to familiarize themselves with multiplication is for them to fill out a printed multiplication table independently. If a child is able to step count (going 2, 4, 6, 8, etc...), they can fill in adjacent squares in the table simply by counting.
Show your child how to fill in a couple of squares, and give them space to fill in the rest. Download a free Multiplication Table PDF here to get started:
Blank Multiplication Table PDF Free Download
3. Practice "Mad Minutes"
Mad Minutes bring a great deal of excitement to multiplication mastery, but they do require parent or tutor attention. If you're short on time, skip to #4.
To set up a"Mad Minute", get out a sheet of paper and write 10 different multiplication problems on it. Begin with the easiest problems like 1×2. Then set a 1 minute timer with your cell phone. Tell your child if they get all the questions correct within 1 minute they get a treat. Then start the timer and have them answer each the questions. "Mad Minutes" turn math practice into a game.
A good example of a Mad minute for learning 6's is below.
Watch to determine if your child is counting with their fingers or getting hung up on any problems. After the minute is over, grade the paper. Copy over any question they got incorrect or took a long time on over to the next"Mad Minute" worksheet. Keep doing "Mad Minutes" until all the multiplication tables have been mastered, which may take a few sittings.
Below is an example of a Mad Minute Annie Gama did with her son to practice "Adding 8's". As you can see, you can actually make"Mad Minutes" for addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. The technique is effective for everybody.
4. Use the Math Ace 3rd Grade App
Math Ace was created by a parent who got so tired grading and writing "Mad Minutes" that he really built an app to do it for him. Now every child can practice Mad Minutes without parent or teacher attention.
Here is how it works. The app comprises of... you guessed it: hundreds of Mad Minutes, or one-minute mathematics challenges, covering Common Core math standards. Have your child start with"Multiplying 0, 1, 2, and 3's", the first challenge in the listing, and work their way down.
Students have one minute to answer as many questions as they can in order to earn a bronze, silver, or gold medal. Gold medals mean the student has proficiency within the skill.
Math Ace automatically adjusts the sequence of problems to maximize learning, something paper worksheets can't do. When students get questions wrong, or get hung up, those questions are repeated at ideal times to improve retention.
Unlike"Mad Minutes", Math Ace requires no parent supervision. Children are rewarded for doing math with turns in a jetpack free-play game. The more medals they earn, the higher they are able to fly into space. Parents can easily monitor their child's progress by looking at their list of awards, and setting medal milestones.
Download Math Ace 3rd Grade here, or check out the other Ace Applications if you feel your child needs to improve their improvement proficiency first.
We recommend 10 minutes of Math Ace per day for any child who has not yet mastered the frequent Core math standards. Math Ace is free for 7 days, and $19.99 for 3 weeks after that, worth it given the convenience of the tool.
5. Learn shortcuts and multiplication strate
Help your kids develop more intuition around multiplication and reduce how much they want to memorize by watching this great multiplication video:
Sometimes simply curating the best content for our kids is better than reinventing the wheel.
6. Add more variety to your Math Practice with a deck of multiplication flashcards. Each flashcard includes a question on one side, and the response on the other. Grab a Fantastic flashcard deck on Amazon for pretty cheap:
7. Play Multiplication War
Multiplication War is like the classic "War" card game, except each of the 52 cards in the deck has a multiplication problem on it. Your child and a friend can play together, each flipping over cards and solving them. The player with the highest card value wins both cards.
This card game is both fun and motivating, and helps students deepen their understanding and reasoning.
If you already have a deck of cards handy, you could even use that instead. The maximum product keeps all 4 cards. Ace equals 1. Jack equals 10. Queen equals 11. And King equals 12.
We hope the 7 tools above prove useful for teaching multiplication. Let us know how it goes.
