Getting back into the school year we have to review our multiplication facts. Some are just harder to remember than others. My oldest son has most of the hard ones memorized by tricks that he learned from his Math-U-See video instructor. Things like: I ate(8) and I ate(8) and that’s what I got sick(6) for(4). Or he’s memorized rhymes that I taught him: six times six is thirty-six. But there are facts like 6×7 and 7×7 that didn’t have any tricks or rhymes until we discovered them today. They are a little more complicated so we’ll see how he does with them in the long run. Also mastering the x3 and x4 facts are key to success. Below I listed our tips and tricks for getting the multiplication table mastered. We also use xtramath.org for doing math drills with addition, subtraction, multiplication, and soon division too. Here’s a link to a 1-10 times table chart and for the multiplication chart 1-100.
- 1’s- anything times one, is itself
- 2’s- doubles, skip count
- Skip count by 3’s, once they have them memorized go faster
- Then in order learn the x3 facts, once mastered go faster, then master them out of order
- Skip count by 4’s, once they have them memorized go faster
- Then in order learn the x4 facts, once mastered go faster, then master them out of order
- 5’s- skip count by five
- 6×6=36 Rhyme: six times six is thirty six
- 6×7=42 or 7×6=42 Hand trick, see below
- 7×7=49 Hand trick, see below
- 6×8=48 or 8×6=48 Rhyme: six times eight is forty eight
- 7×8=56 or 8×7=56 5,6,7,8 -> 56=7×8
- 8×8=64 I ate(8) and I ate(8) and that’s what I got sick(6) for(4)
- 9’s- lay down the finger you are multiplying by nine, see below
- 10’s- anything times ten is itself and add a zero
