Learning multiplication tables

[Michael]

I knew it couldn't last. My daughter has loved school and picked up on the ABCs, all the reading and loves everything she has done for four years now. She is not getting along with the multiplication tables. I have to make her sit down and pay attention, but she just doesn't know how to be still. Does anyone have any tricks?

 

[polamalu43]

Repetition! Keep going over them - over and over. Make them into a song! 1 times 1 = one. It was a struggle with my kids too but once we made it fun they enjoyed it.

 

[Michael]

She does love to sing. Yesterday I wouldn't let her sit down until she got through the six times table. She thought I was being mean to her. This child never sits down. She is playing continually. I made her stand still long enough to get through one set.

 

[polamalu43]

A good start, I don't envy you right now. I remember what a pain it was. We would sing them in the car too. That was always fun, I made sure I sang with her. We did the same when the kids were learning to count to 100.

 

[Michael]

Oh, I'm praying to God to get me through the third grade. My wife and I are older parents, and between the dancing, singing, cartwheels and multiplication tables, I can barely hold down my job and keep myself going. Then we have this little firecracker. I love every single minute of it.

 

[Victor]

I like the singing idea; I will have to remember that when my daughters get to be that age. Michael, it sounds like your daughter is very independent. I can relate as my 2 year old definitely knows her own mind.

 

[LeonR]

When my girls were little, we used a deck of regular playing cards that we would pull out in the car, when we were waiting at various places and always kept them handy. She got to pull out 2 cards and multiply them by each other. Face cards were 10s.

 

[Salazar]

Along the lines of Leon's idea, I remember using flash cards when I was a kid. Try not to put too much pressure on her. Some kids will shut down and give up and assume they're just never going to get it when they're under the gun.

 

[joeldgreat]

In her early age, do your best to teach her that number's are friends and math is not an enemy. For a start, you can buy board games that teaches your kids on how to deal with numbers. Monopoly for instance can be associated with numbers not only for fun. In groceries, you can teach you kid simple math by the price tags, number of pieces in the basket, etc. No matter how hard it is, be sure that you teach your child to love numbers at their earliest possible age.

 

[encryptedbytes]

There's already some good advice here, but I would like to add that you really shouldn't let the multiplication tables pass by without mastery of at least the basic 10x10, if not up to 12x12. if you can try to challenge your child up to 15x15.

My daughter struggled with multiplication tables and I didn't help reinforce them like I should have and it has lead to lots of problems in math through middle and high school.

Math is one of those subjects where everything you learn is built on top of things you've learned previously and it's super important to have a solid foundation in the subject. Holes in the foundational knowledge lead a student that struggles even harder later on as things get more complex. Help make that foundation SOLID!