Learning the Times Tables - What are the Best Methods?

| Posted: 13-05-2008 | Comments: 0 | Views: 18 | Rating: (185)

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With so many fads and myths concerning learning the multiplication tables, it may be hard to sort through them and find the ones that have the most meaning for you, your child, or your students.

There are several factors you should consider while looking for the methods that fit your needs. And remember, when you are learning a new skill, it's good idea to try more than one strategy. The "shut-up-and-learn-it" strategy is the one used by many public schools in the United States. It's no mystery, then, why the U.S. lags behind most of the world in elementary math skills. Luckily, your child doesn't have to be at that low level.

When searching online or elsewhere for a way to learn the multiplication tables, you might consider the following points.

The strategy should not:

Be taught with the use of a calculator - ever. Calculators were invented by vampires to suck school-children's brains out. They are crutches. You wouldn't give crutches to healthy child, would you?

Be dependent on memory (mnemonic) gimmicks like rhymes or songs. Such things may have a short-term effect, but they don't help develop a sense for numbers. And, as mnemonic devices, they are usually not very good ones. If you depend only on those gimmicks, the child will neither develop a deep understanding of multiplication, nor mnemonics. (When you get to more advanced manipulation of numbers, mnemonic devices can be very helpful - but for basics like the times tables, it has been shown in studies that they are more of a distraction from the actual material than an real aid.

Be such a drag that the child will always consider math as a boring drudgery.

Be just another way for some corporation to inculcate your child with its Saturday morning lineup of cartoon characters. Math itself can be fun, but not just because some animated corporate lackey tells your child it is. Be wary that your child doesn't get into the habit of only doing homework if it involves consumer toys or icons.

The strategy should:

Emphasize understanding of the concept of multiplication, not simply memorization of some "facts".

Be firmly grounded on the concept that multiplication of whole numbers is simply repeated addition.

Be based on more than one sense. Just doing worksheets is not enough. If you repeatedly hear multiplication problems as well as see them, you learn how to deal with them with more than one sense. That "locks in" the skill.

Foster a sense for numbers. In other words, it should illustrate the relationship between the digits to be multiplied, and more familiar numbers, such as number ten. For example, 5 x 6 is the same as half of 10 x 6.

Children can tell when you value their minds. They learn to respect themselves when you don't pander to them. There is an effective method for learning/teaching the times tables that doesn't pander, yet makes learning "multiplication facts" fun. You can find it at: http://www.mathmojo.com/multiplication-tables/

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Article Tags: Multiplication Facts, Times Tables, How To Multiply, Learn Multiplication, Multiplication Tables

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About the Author:

I'm a professional magician turned guerrilla-math guy. Magic and Math should be used for opening minds to new things.
My website is MathMojo.com and my blog is the Math Mojo Chronicles

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Times Tables - the Worst Way to Teach Multiplication
By: Brian Foley | 28/03/2008 | K-12 Education
How "the times tables" and "multiplication facts" kill any real learning. Instead, help your child develop a sense for numbers and their relationship to each other, and what to do about it.

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Learning the Times Tables - What are the Best Methods?

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