Unlock the Secrets: Easy Ways to Master Multiplication Tricks

Multiplication, a fundamental skill in mathematics, often presents a challenge for learners. However, teaching and learning multiplication doesn't have to be a daunting task. By employing a variety of engaging and effective strategies, students can not only memorize multiplication facts but also develop a deeper understanding of the concept. This article explores several easy ways to learn multiplication tricks, catering to different learning styles and preferences, making the process both fun and effective.

Hands-On Learning with Manipulatives

One of the most effective ways to introduce multiplication is through hands-on learning using countable manipulatives. This approach transforms multiplication from an abstract concept into a tangible and relatable experience. For instance, when teaching 3 × 4, students can arrange manipulatives into three rows, each containing four pieces. This arrangement visually represents an array, which is a concrete representation of multiplication. Arrays or sets are still helpful.

The Commutative Property: A Powerful Shortcut

The commutative property of multiplication states that changing the order of factors does not change the product (e.g., a × b = b × a). This understanding is crucial for students as it allows them to approach multiplication tasks with greater flexibility. For example, if a student struggles with 8 × 2, they can recall 2 × 8, which might be easier to remember. Understanding the commutative property effectively halves the number of multiplication facts that need to be memorized. You might have to drop a few hints, but they’ll soon realise all they need to do is rotate the paper ninety degrees. That’s a good chunk of the 12 × 12 multiplication table that can be calculated with little effort.

Drill and Practice: Making it Engaging

While understanding the concept is crucial, memorization of multiplication tables is also important for quick recall. Drill and practice strategies can be employed to commit the multiplication tables to memory. However, instead of monotonous repetition, these strategies can be implemented as engaging, game show-style competitions. It’s important to ensure that these activities are inclusive and provide extra support for learners who may need it.

Gamification: Multiplication in a Fun Context

To make multiplication practice more engaging, consider using programs that integrate the concept into a game or captivating story. Mathletics, for example, allows students to solve multiplication problems as they navigate through the outer space “multiverse”. This approach transforms practice into an adventure, motivating students to learn and master multiplication facts. In this game, students are given a card with a single number and a multiplication sentence underneath.

Read also: Easy College Cooking

Visualizing Word Problems: Bridging the Gap

The shift from numerical multiplication to word problems can be challenging for some students. To ease this transition, it's helpful to visualize the problem initially. By examining a collection of multiplication word problems side-by-side, students can identify the underlying formula (schema) that connects them. If you’re tired of reinventing increasingly complex word problems, consider trialing an EdTech program that comes pre-loaded with them. You can also check out our range of online mathematics learning programs.

Quick Tricks and Mental Math

There are several quick tricks that can make multiplication easier and more fun. For example:

Doubling: To multiply by 4, double the number twice. For example, 4 × 3 = double 3 to get 6, then double 6 to get 12. Similarly, 4 × 8 = double 8 to get 16, then double 16 to get 32.
Halving and Doubling: Sometimes, doubling one value and halving the other can simplify the calculation. For instance, 150 × 16 can be transformed into 300 × 8 or even 600 × 4.
Multiplying by 9 using Fingers: This trick involves using your fingers to figure out nine times tables. Start by spreading all 10 fingers in front of you. To figure out 9×1, put your left pinky down. What are you left with? 9 fingers! For 9×2 put your left ring-finger down. What are you left with? 1 finger and a gap followed by 8 fingers or 18. This trick works up to 9×9 (8 and 1 or 81).
Multiplying by 11: up to 11x9: just repeat the digit. Example: 11×15 = 1(1+5)5 = 165 Note: this works for any two-digit number, but when the sum of the digits is more than 9, we need to carry the one: example: 11×75 = 7(7+5)5 = 7(12)5 = 825.
Multiplying numbers separated by 2: When the numbers we are multiplying are separated by 2 (example 7 and 5), then multiply the number in the middle by itself and subtract one.

The Importance of Memory and Patterns

Memory plays a crucial role in mastering multiplication. With the multiplication table memorized, recalling facts like 3 × 5 = 15 or 6 × 8 = 48 becomes instantaneous. To aid memory, it's helpful to recognize patterns within the multiplication tables. For example, in the 5 times table, the last digit alternates between 5 and 0. Similarly, the 10 times table always ends in 0. Also the last digit goes 5, 0, 5, 0, … like this: 5, 10, 15, 20, … the tens digit goes 0, 1, 2, 3, …: 9, 18, 27, 36, 45, …

Times Table Chart

This is an old technique but it’s very effective. The first step involves downloading Whizz Education’s handy times table sheet. Once that’s done, go through it with your child, filling in each individual box together. Next step is to hang the completed chart up in a place where your child will see it regularly (e.g. their bedroom door, the fridge door, the cupboard next to the computer). Finally set a regular time for both you and your child to sit down and have a casual, no pressure run through a particular set of times tables, perhaps just before dinner.

Start with Easier Tables

There is some debate surrounding the best order in which to teach the times tables. However, it is generally agreed that it is preferable to start with 2, 5 and 10, as the patterns within them are easier for children to grasp. Children are introduced to counting in multiples of 2, 5 and 10 first. Once secure and accurate with this rote recall, the easier it is to turn it into times table and see the structure and patterns that are present. Two times table involves doubling and using fingers initially can help children see and feel the symmetry of the doubling concept. In the 2 and 10 times tables the numbers are all even. In fact, any number multiplied by an even number will be even. Saying the 10 times tables helps children to see the patterns “…6 tens are 60, 7 tens are 70…”. With the 10 times table all the numbers end in 0 and in the 5 times table all the numbers end in 5 or 0.

Read also: Decoding Language Learning

Catchy Music

What’s a great way to get information stuck in someone’s head? Yep, that’s right! Catchy music! We recommend checking out videos made by Youtuber, Mr.DeMaio, an American elementary school teacher who uses clever parodies of pop songs to teach kids their times tables.

Card Game

Recently we discussed five fun board games that can help teach kids math. Now we’ve found a card game that makes learning times tables fun. The game is simple, two players draw a card from a deck. They then flip their cards over and the first person to correctly guess the total of the two cards multiplied together gets to put the cards in their winning pile. For example, if a 3 of hearts and a 7 of diamonds are flipped over, the first person who says 21 gets to keep the two cards.

Multiplication Flower

One for the creative kids. Children start this activity by drawing the centre of the flower, in which they write a number between 2 and 12. They then draw 12 petals around the centre, with each petal containing the numbers 1 through 12.

Testing on the Go

Once you think your child is getting the hang of their times tables, it’s time to put them to the test. It’s best to do this is when there’s nothing else really going on, like while you’re walking them to school or while you’re waiting for a bus.

Rewards

When encouraging children to pursue something important, like timetables, there’s no harm in heightening their enthusiasm with a little reward. Remember that you shouldn’t just reward your child for getting answers right, though. Don’t be afraid to give them a treat if you can see they’ve been trying hard but haven’t quite mastered their times tables yet. This encourages persistence.

Read also: Beginner Harmonica Guide

Step-by-Step Plan for Teaching Multiplication Facts

There’s 5 steps to mastering the multiplication facts:

Step 1: Break up the facts into manageable chunks.
Step 2: Make the facts concrete with a simple visual.
Step 3: Teach your child to use easier facts as stepping stones to the harder facts.
Step 4: Practice each times table on its own until it’s mastered.
Step 5: Practice a mix of multiplication facts.

Breaking it Up

This is a short and easy step, but it’s important. Don’t overwhelm your child with all 100 multiplication facts at once. Instead, focus on just one times table at a time. (A times table is just one set of multiplication facts. For example, the ×6 table is 1×6, 2×6, 3×6, and so on up to 10×6.)Breaking up the multiplication facts makes mastering the tables feel much more do-able (for kids and parents). Plus, your child can then use the easier facts as stepping-stones to the more difficult facts.

Make the Facts concrete with a multiplication array

For each times table, first make sure your child understands concretely what the multiplication problems mean. Otherwise, the numbers are just sequences of abstract symbols-and they’re a lot harder to memorize.In general, I’m a big fan of hands-on manipulatives for helping kids understand math. But with multiplication, manipulatives can become pretty unwieldy. It could take your whole math lesson just to count out 6 groups of 8 objects-and your child probably wouldn’t be much closer to remembering that 6 × 8 equals 48.Instead, I like to use a simple grid of circles called a dot array. With a dot array, you can slide an L-shaped cover over the top of the array and show any multiplication fact you want from 1×1 up to 10×10. Here’s what the dot array and L-cover look like. Here’s how you use them. For example, let’s say we wanted to help your child understand what 6 × 8 looks like. 6 × 8 means “6 groups of 8,” so slide the L-cover so that the dot array looks like this.Each of the 6 rows has 8 dots, so there are 6 groups of 8 dots. So, the total number of dots in the array is the answer to 6 × 8.

Stepping Stones

Multiplication is a bit like climbing a huge pile of rocks. When you’re trying to reach the top, it’s a lot easier to climb up a few small rocks rather than try to scale a sheer rock face.You definitely don’t want to try to get straight up this one!With multiplication facts, it’s much easier to use facts you’ve already learned as “stepping stones” to the harder facts rather than to memorize them by rote. The dot array will help your child do this!For example, let’s go back to 6 × 8. It’s one of the toughest facts for kids to memorize, but most children find it quite easy when they use 5 × 8 as a stepping stone.Here’s how you teach your child to use easier facts as a stepping stone to 6 × 8:5 × 8 is 40. (5 × 8 makes a nice stepping stone, since children’s familiarity with 5s from their early years of arithmetic usually make the ×5 facts easy to learn.) 6 × 8 is just one more group of 8 than 5 × 8.So, you can just add 40 + 8 to find the answer: 6 × 8 = 48.This strategy works for all of the ×6 facts. And the good news is that there are similar strategies for all the multiplication facts!

Practice each times table on its own until it’s mastered

Once your child has learned how to use stepping-stone facts for a times table, focus on just that specific times table for several days. Use a mix of practice techniques to give your child some variety and make learning multiplication fun. I like using a mix of recitation, games, and worksheets, so that kids speak, see, and write the facts.

Recitation

I know, reciting the times tables may seem old-fashioned. But, saying information aloud helps to cement it in your child’s memory. Plus, reciting each table in order helps your child understand how the facts in the table are related. For example, reciting “1 × 7 is 7. 2 × 7 is 14. 3 × 7 is 21…” reminds your child that each new fact in the ×7 table is 7 more than the previous fact. So, she can add 7 to each previous fact to help her remember the next one, because the facts in the table add a new group of 7 each time.

Games

I heart math games! They make math fun and social, but they also have a huge teaching benefit: when you play a multiplication game with your child, you can monitor how well your child is using the strategies-and fix any mistakes before they become ingrained.

Worksheets

Worksheets aren’t the most exciting, but they’re an important practice component, since your child will often use multiplication in his written work. Keep worksheets short and sweet so that your child stays alert and focused.

Mix those multiplication facts with other times tables

Once your child has mastered the new times table, it’s time to mix up those multiplication facts with the facts she’s already mastered. Mixing them together provides cumulative review so that the facts are cemented in her long-term memory. Keep using recitation, games, and worksheets (and even flash cards, if you want) until your child has all 100 facts memorized.

Tailoring Tricks to Individual Preferences

It's important to remember that everyone learns differently. Not all tricks will resonate with every student. Encourage students to explore different methods and identify the ones that make the most sense to them. Some might prefer visual aids, while others might find mental math tricks more appealing. The key is to find the strategies that align with individual learning styles. We all think differently, so just ignore any tricks that don't make sense to you.

tags: #easy #way #of #learning #multiplication #tricks