What's the Best Way to Teach Multiplication?

I remember my aunt teaching these to me after school! We did one group at a time. First the ones, once I got all those, then the twos, and on and on. When it came to memorizing, it was easier for me break them up into smaller, similar groups, instead of taking all of them at once and mixing them up. That was overwhelming. This way, he gets some confidence because the smaller numbers are easier (He'll be like, no problem mom, those were easy!) and as he completes each group he'll have a feeling of accomplishment also.

If he is really struggling with some, set those aside and continue to the next group. At the end, just focus on those that were harder for him and maybe find different ways to present them in a way he'll better understand.

He may also be more of a visual learner... Can you take coins and break them up into the groups so he can see how the numbers build on each other? Maybe he even gets to keep the coins when he remembers the fact that they represent.

Flash cards are a good way - buy another box but all white this time! :)

If you haven't already, I'd ask his teacher if she has any tricks up her sleeve. It will be good for her to know this is a challenge for him, and that you are working on it at home.

Try to find different ways to go over his math facts with him. Not always just flash cards, but in other ways as well. For instance, when you're grocery shopping, say, "This loaf of bread is $3. How much would it cost for me to buy 7 of them?" Somehow that's more fun for kids than just a flash card, and they can see the application in real life.

My kids enjoyed an album of multiplication songs that we found on iTunes as well. Somehow a song makes things easier to remember.

Here's a toy we found at the teacher store that my kids had fun with: http://www.amazon.com/Learning-Wrap-Ups-K103-Wrap-Multipl...

Also, you can look for multiplication Bingo. That's another fun way to practice facts.

I'd mix in several different ways of memorization along with the flash cards. You'll find something that catches his interest. Just keep trying.

Does he understand how multiplication works? If not, it might help to get some small items like coins or pennies or cereal and use that to help him visualize the problem. Otherwise, it's just practice. He learned how to count by 2s, 5s, and 10s so those are good ones to start with. How high does he have to go? If it's 12, you could start with 1s or 10s and have him memorize the facts for 10 times zero through twelve. Once he gets those mastered, move onto twos or fives. Good luck!

You can only memorize them. There is just no other way. No one transplants a calculator into their brains you just memorize them.
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Everything is connecting/memorizing. If what you are doing isn't working then try something new. Sure skip counting is faster than adding, but neither connect the 5 x 7. Eventually you see a five and a seven and your brain sees 35 but it takes time.

My youngest got it faster doing multiplication and division at the same time. So you are looking at five times seven equals 35 at the same time you are looking at 35 can be divided by five to get seven, seven to get five.

We've been reciting 2x1 is 2, 2x2 is 4, 2x3 is 6...and so on for each number set up to 12. Some days we do 3 sets, others we do all of the sets. We fit it in in the car or before bed, or at the dinner table. I've been working on it with them for the last few weeks and I think it's really helping my daughter who didn't have them all memorized. After they know a set, I mix it up and ask random facts to see if they know them. I also give written tests each week or so, to make sure they can do it on paper. Since this is verbal and quick, the kids enjoy it. If they don't know one, they can just add up from the last number they were on. If they are really struggling with one, I tell them and we repeat it a few times.

When I was a kid, the teacher had the class chant the multiplication tables out loud in unison. "2x1 is 2. 2x2 is 4, 2x3 is 6," etc. etc.

It was fun, and effective. I don't understand why teachers don't use the chant method any more.

Chant the multiplication tables with your son, out loud. The way he is doing it is not good, in my opinion. Yes, I would get rid of the cards, if that's how he's using them.

We homeschool and use Math-U-See. There is no memorization because memorizing isn't understanding numbers and quantities. Yes, the kids DO memorize the problems over the course of time, but it's more important that they know how large a 7 is, how large a 3 is, what multiplying is, and what the answer to 7 x 3 is, even if it takes a bit longer for them to have all the problems memorized. Lots of experts feel that the reason kids are scoring so poorly in math by college is that they are just memorizing and not understanding the process in foundation years....If your son had a more layered comprehensive approach with less stress on memorizing he may come to a better understanding. Math-U-See covers multiplication in their 3rd grade Gamma book with daily DVD lessons for you to teach -available through their website. Singapore Math is also supposed to be good.

My son struggled for 3 years. The first thing I did was to create the multiplication chart.
12 across, 12 down.
Then I gave him 3 mins to fill out as much as he could. That was our starting point. It helped show me the ones that he knew and the ones he didn't.

I then got a bunch either pennies, skittles or M&Ms. We went through each one that he missed using the items.
Show me 1 group of 10. How many is that?
Show me 2 groups of 8. How many is that?
Show me 5 groups of 4. How many is that?

At bedtime, I would then ask him 3 problems that he had problems with. No flashcards. After a few days, we retook the test.

Another thing that helped was getting his eyes checked. Turns out he has monovision, which means that one eye is near-sighted, one is far-sighted. Once we got him glasses, his 'correct' answers on the test improved. In fact, he was able to do the whole table within the 3 mins.

The first thing I did with my kids was make sure they understood the concept. I used manipulatives for that. This way they had tangible objects to count and then add together. So I would have two blocks, add two more, then add two more, etc. I'd give the multiplication label for it (2x3=6).

Then I started playing a tape in the car everywhere we went that was of a group of children chanting the multiplication tables to fun music. I can't remember where I bought it, but if I were you, I'd look for it. (Perhaps you could find it online. Check Doris Kindersley - DK.)

As they were memorizing like this, I'd point out stuff in the grocery store. If you had 9 friends over at the house and a bag of cookies, how many cookies would the bag have to have in it so that your friends could have 10 cookies each? This way he learns how to apply the math concept to real life. (And what better way than to do it with cookies!) Make all your examples 'real' and help him enjoy them.

Flashcards turn off little brains sometimes. He needs real life examples PLUS repetition. We made a game out of chanting the multiplication tables. Plus, I told my kids that I had trouble remembering 8X7 when I was a little girl. They thought that was funny and quizzed me for years over that!

My kids had no problem memorizing multiplication tables. I think it may have been because they could skip count so easily. Practice skip counting for 2 -12 and I am sure he will get it quickly. (For example when we were in the car I use to count... 3, 6, 9, 12 etc. then do the same for the 4's etc)

There is a DVD... Multiplication Rock. It has the Multiplication facts and the multiples (2, 4, 6, 8...).

In introducing the concept of multiplication. Make it more visual.

One way to do it is by rows and columns.
Ω    Ω    Ω    Ω    Ω    Ω    Ω
Ω    Ω    Ω    Ω    Ω    Ω    Ω
Ω    Ω    Ω    Ω    Ω    Ω    Ω 7x3 =21

Another is by grouping. I would make 3 circles and fill each circle with 7 things. You can make it more appealing by using things he can visualize. Like there are 3 baskets. Each basket holds 7 apples how many apples are there all together. You can use pretty much anything for grouping and it can be an easy transition to division intro. (I have 21 apples and three baskets. How many apples can go equally in each basket)

(ΩΩΩΩΩΩΩ) (ΩΩΩΩΩΩΩ) (ΩΩΩΩΩΩΩ)
7 + 7 + 7 =21

Once he understands the concept. Practice multiplication facts. If you're creating your own sheet. Repeat some of the problems somewhere in the sheet. It enhances memory. Do it daily if you can. It does not have to be more than 5 minutes. I would create the same sheet and either give him 5 mins and see how much progress he makes with correct answers or have him finish the sheet timed and see how much he can shave off in time.

Repetition is key. And have him master the first group of facts. Hold off on the flash cards until he understands the concept then reintroduce the cards. Color association is actually an advantage. This means you can color code his lessons and he will remember them easy. Just make sure he understands what he is supposed to learn.

I like to do a rapid fire skip count....makes it fun, especially in the car where we can be silly and loud!

Look online for the Montessori method of 'chains' and the appropriate manipulatives. It is a GREAT method. My son (and most of his 3-6 Montessori class) were multiplying by the time they were in kindergarten. The best was that they had no idea they were doing multiplication and they thought is was fun.

My niece, head of her elem math department, says there is no "only" way to do any math--ever.
When in doubt, go
Back to a number line.
Skip count. (Count by twos, threes, fours, etc.)
I'm sure he can do his O. table.
So practice counting by twos.
Then work on the two table.
Repeat. Small steps. Work up to the ten table as he gets the others.
Multiplication can be done by using addition, subtraction, division, etc.
Different kids can learn very differently.
You have to see what "makes sense" to HIM.
There is no O. way to teach this.
If that we're true, a good part if the population would not know their multiplication tables!
Good luck!!!

Try counting by the number. Counting by 2s is multiplying by 2s. Counting by 6s is multiplying by 6s. That method worked great for my 3rd grade students. You can also find songs/raps that teach multiplication facts. Search YouTube and tons will come up. Personally, I hate flash cards. If he is memorizing them based on characteristics of the cards it is probably doing more harm than good. There are a lot of good computer games and apps for practicing multiplication tables. He is still getting the repetition, but it's a lot more fun than flash cards!

Flash cards didn't wok for my son. He likes games, so I bought the paid edition of starfall, about $30 for the year. It has lots of multiplication games. It helped him a lot. Also get a big multiplication poster and put it on the wall, look for the fun patterns in the square. Each number multiplication has its own number pattern.

How old is he?

That makes a big difference.

I was beat with a belt every night during homework to try and "make" me learn multiplication. I stopped learning it at 6X8=48.

I failed college algebra in beginning algebra 2 times at 2 different colleges. I got in with an educational psychologist and she figured out how to get past my mental block. It was by color coding everything.

Positive numbers were green, negative numbers were red, and other stuff was other colors.

So, for a simple subtraction problem it went like this.

10 (10 green) -7 ( -7 red) = (= black) 3 (3 blue)

I stopped seeing a math problem that I couldn't understand and saw it differently. She wrote a paper about this in a professional journal, well, she asked my permission formally.

My point is each person learns differently. Go have kiddo do the quizzes on learning styles and find out his 2 most prominent learning styles. Then work on multiplication using them.

I truly think most kids learn by seeing and hearing. So having him repeat the whole section out loud is what they usually do.

For instance, when we were in the car I'd have the kids spelling words for that week over the visor.

I would ask "her" to spell....beautiful. She would have to spell it out loud. Then I'd skip down to a word way down the list. Switching it up. She has the highest spelling test scores in her grade but I am a near perfect speller.

I had her do multiplication like this. We did do random math problems too, like the spelling words but not as often.

Say all the 5 multiplication...I can't remember what I said but it was meant to get her to say 1.5=5, 2.5=10, 3.5=15 and so forth. If they have a multiplication problem 5.5=25 in front of them they need to be able to hear themselves saying 5.5=25 so they can pull it from long term memory.

There are many ways to teach math. Tracing the numbers in sand gives them several sensory inputs. The feel of the sand, the shape of the numbers, the feel of their finger making the shape. It enters their brain in the backdoor sort of. You can ask the teacher for more ideas on this.

Having then do woodworking, using the measurements you set out, say.....I need 3 feet of this stick. How many inches are in a foot. 12 is correct. So if I need 3 feet of this stick what's that look like. Then they can write the math down or trace it in sawdust.

Cooking is another way. A quarter cup of butter is how many tablespoons. It's on the butter wrapper but if they're working on math they get to say it out loud, how they figure it up. How many cups in 32 ounces. You can do it from the other end to get multiplication. Or make 2 boxes of something so they can multiply by 2.

Find innovative ways to get it in there. Saying it by rote is boring but necessary, that's how it gets there. By doing the same thing over and over and over again it becomes ingrained in our brains. By doing it where it's a blast is so much more fun.

Both ways are needed so they make wiring connecting it all up. If they miss that part they have the knowledge but can't access it.

I like the suggestion about learning to count by the number, 2, 4, 6 etc.
When we got to multiplication in my son's book, I shut the book and got out the glass beads that we use for math. I first explained to him what multiplication is. Once he understood it completely, then we started working on memorizing.

If you feel that the flash cards you are using isn't working any more, get some new ones. Eliminate the ones he does already know, then work on just a few per week. When you try them all at once, it is more difficult.

First, he should understand the concept. Once he has a general understanding, he just needs to memorize them. Have him memorize the 2x tables then 3x tables, etc. in order. Once he's comfortable with the 2x table then he can move on to the 3s and so on. Whether you have him recite them repeatedly or have him write them down repeatedly depends on his learning style. But like you said, repetition is key. Then give him random problems to see if he has them memorized and is comfortable with it. I think memorization is the only way anyone can really learn them. That's how I learned them and that's how I taught my little sister.

Have you tried School House Rock? Amazing what my 4-year old has learned already! Songs are amazing. Also, maybe back to basics, and try using beads or other things he can group together and visualize. I don't know how old your son is, so I'm not sure if these are the best suggestions... Good luck!

Try a different approach.

7x3 is 3 rows 7.

....... 7
....... 14
....... 21

See if it is any easier for him to count in 7's. Try that until he starts to get a better handle on it.

Wait, I have a book on this. I will dig it out and see what it says on multiplication. Come back to my response later...I will see if I can find it.

My son's school has a great math curriculum that encourages strategic thinking along with memorization. The idea is that they may pick the times tables up a little later, but they'll get them more solidly and in more depth, and they'll have a better attitude toward them.

The idea is sort of like, "You know that 8x10=80, right, because 10s are easy. Well, 5 is half of 10 and 40 is half of 80, so 5x8=40." That seemed really clunky and inefficient to me when I first read about it, but, just by learning how to skip-count by 2s, 3s, and 5s, and with a lot of emphasis on strategic thinking, my son taught himself the 4, 6, 8, 9, and 12 multiplication tables. (The 7s still utterly elude him, b/c 7 is a prime number.) His ways of getting to a certain answer are often different than mine, but they're just as quick and accurate.

The curriculum is called Investigations, if you want to look into it. I've also heard good things about a curriculum called Singapore Math.

You can ask his teacher for ideas (there are all kinds of games which don't "feel" like learning) and/or follow this link:
http://pinterest.com/search/pins/?q=multiplication%20math...

Hope I'm not repeating, but here's what I did. My daughter liked flashcards but I wanted her to visualize the concept first. I actually used an abacus. Worked awesome. She got the idea very quickly. From there, we went back to flashcards and the multiplication tables, the amount she improved was huge.