Homeschool Math Blog

Here are neat puzzles to review factors in multiplication, the multiplication tables -- and consequently, the basic division facts -- all in the same "package"! Or, just use them as cool logic puzzles. ☺ They're called Find the Factors puzzles. This page explains how to solve them. On this page you'll find a vast amount of them, as Excel spreadsheets: Like the author says, "T he more multiplication facts you know, the easier these puzzles become. Working on these puzzles can help you learn the multiplication table better. "

Some of you might like these multiplication flash cards (free printable) with DOT arrays. I like the idea! They could be used to teach beginning multiplication with the answers intact, and later on, cover the answers for memorization/learning practice, but either way, the dots remind the student of the CONCEPT of multiplication.

Here's a different way to look at the multiplication tables chart: COLOR IT! See more: You weren't bad at maths -- you just weren't looking at it the right way

This is of course NOT the best time of year to talk about multiplication tables... but it just so happens that David Chandler has made a new online TOOL or program for practicing the tables -- and he has aligned the ORDER of practicing the tables with the order I use in my books. :) This tool also practices the tables both forwards and backwards at the same time -- which is exactly the approach I've taken in my  books and in my videos for the multiplication tables. Practicing them both ways is so great, because it allows the students to master division facts "in disguise" at the same time. What does it mean? For example, students not only learn the answers to 2 x 6, 3 x 6, 4 x 6, 5 x 6, etc. but also practice the missing factor problems: ___ x 6 = 12, ___ x 6 = 30, ___ x 6 = 72, ___ x 6 = 42, etc.

This time of year many students tackle multiplication tables. These resources can be of help: This video explains my method for "structured drilling" of multiplication tables . We don't start with random drill (that comes later) but with drill that is using the structure of the tables. The tables are also practiced "backwards", which will facilitate the learning of basic division facts. Over the years I have hears from many individuals who have gotten their child to learn the tables using this method, but recently  I got word from a a principal of an English medium school in Pune, India, that they have already implemented my multiplication drilling method and it is working beautifully with their children! I feel flattered a whole SCHOOL is using it... and glad it is working. Math Mammoth Multiplication 1 book . First it has a long section that concentrates on the concept of multiplication, and then the last part has lessons to faciliate the same dril...

The review of Multiplication Mountain has been moved here .

I have a collection of interesting links for you today; mostly some picks from Math Teachers At Play #2 blog carnival, which you SHOULD visit. Denise always has good stuff and really nice photos to spice up the reading. Here's a neat way to practice multiplication tables by Math Mojo. I also liked some simple dissection puzzles ; you'll even get a free worksheet download. Nick has posted two geometry "Wrapper" problems This one is hilarious - lots of pictures of mathematical clocks! Those were all from the carnival; please check out all the other posts as well ; it is a good carnival! Lastly, I visited this yesterday, and I think ALL of us should check out what a trillion dollars looks like .

This video is about using a structured drill to learn multiplication tables . I consider "structured" drill far superior to starting kids with random drill. This kind of drill uses the structure of the table itself to help the children at first. Once they master this, it's time to use random drills (flashcards).

Someone once wrote to me, ...regarding my third grader. We are still slogging through learning the times tables. To liven it up, I decided to order Times Tales (I ordered the deluxe version that includes division as well). I have read different opinions about using mnemonic devices to learn math facts. Some say that mnemonic devices actually slow the student down, and one even went as far to say it was like counting on fingers. I don't want to use Times Tales if it's going to slow her down, and I do want to make sure she knows her math facts cold. I, myself, remember I didn't know 8x8=64 in seventh grade, and I just figured it in my head, 8+8=16, 16+16=32, 32+32=64 -- 8x8=64. I did this until I realized how slow I was and decided to commit the facts I didn't know to memory. What do you think about Times Tales and other "helps" for math facts? Mnemonic helps in themselves are not bad. We use them all the time, in everyday life situations. Say you...

I've recently embarked on something new... I let people request a package of over 100 free worksheets and over 180 sample pages from the Math Mammoth books and worksheet collections. In it, I included one question along with the name & email that people can fill in: "What is your most pressing math teaching question?" I did that because I saw some other people had done something similar, and I thought that's a great idea - I would get to know what kind of math teaching related problems people have. I also wanted to give people a chance to communicate a little with me... You know, we all go visit these multitudes of websites, and we show up as numbers on the website statistics program. It all can seem so impersonal, so "machinistic" sometimes. But the reality is, behind every website are people. On school days, over 10,000 people visit HomeschoolMath.net. Over 1,000 people visit MathMammoth.com. I never hear from most. If I had a physical store, I would ...

Continuing on the same lines as my previous post, what about multiplication facts and drill? Well, the principle is similar: show them first the concept and patterns. Then can come some plain drill. But, I want to share with you a few more detailed points. The main "patterns" in various multiplication tables of course follow from the concept of multiplication. For example, table of 2 is counting by 2's. You get table of 4 by doubling the answers in table of 2. You get table of 8 by doubling the answers in table of 4. Table of 10 is counting by 10s. Table of 5 - just take half of what the 10 × Here are some resources to give you ideas about these kind of patterns and little "tricks". * Michele's Math * Times Tables' factsheets We ALSO need them to know the tables "backwards". Let me explain. It's not enough to know that 8 × 7 is 56, when someone asks what is 8 × 7. The students ALSO need to know that 56 is 8 × 7, when given just the answer...

Remember, I have created a list of the best online activities, games, tutorials, etc. for this (and other topics as well). All kids love games, and with multiplication tables, it's one way to give them more practice. The complete list of online activities is here , but I'll copy and paste a sample to this blogpost: Multiplication grid Drag the scrambled answer tiles into the right places in the grid as fast as you can! Multiplication.com Strategies, worksheets, games just for times tables. The Times Tables at Resourceroom.net Fill in the multiplication chart - partially or the whole thing - or take quizzes, and get graded. Explore the multiplication table This applet visualizes multiplication as a rectangle. Table Mountain Climb the mountain with 20 questions from a selected table. Multiplication table Challenge 100 questions, timed. Multiplication mystery Drag the answer tiles to right places in the grid as they are given, and a picture is reve...