Have the table handy, hide the problems, and point to the answers in random order. Student has to produce the problem (from table of 3). The last step is to do this the other way round so that YOU say the answer, say 21, and the Problems, and drill both with flashcards. You can also mix earlier tables that she already knows with these new The goal at this stage is to associate each answer 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21,Ģ4, 27, 30, 33, 36, with a certain multiplication fact (such as 7 × 3). Question aloud and simultaneously pointing to the problem the child can see,īecause again, using multiple senses should help fix them in the mind better. Practice the list UP AND DOWN until it goes smooth and easy.
See a list of free online multiplication activities. Computer programs and computer-based drilling can be very rewarding to children and let them enjoy memorizing times Truly learning the facts and are able to go through the drills Children can actually enjoy the memorization process when they notice they are Computers are great drillers since they won't get tiredĪnd you can usually choose a timed session where the child is then forced to If you can, utilize older siblings in theĭrilling task too. Paper-pencil activities where the child is left alone, do not work really well for memorizing the facts - theĬhild may get the answers by counting and not from memory. (This principle applies to anything new you are You can drill for 5-10 minutes at aĪ day though, as your schedule permits. Brain research shows us thatįorgetting happens fast, and that new information is retained far better if theįirst reviewing session is done within 4-6 hours of the first time The answer by heart (from memory), then tell him/her the right answer. You should expect the answersįrom the child immediately when you are drilling. Producing the answer takes much more time. You can easily see if the student is trying to count because Memorized your address and phone number, now she/he is going to memorize some To memorize the facts, to recall from memory, and not to get the answersīy counting or some other method. When you are doing drills to memorize, explain to the child that the goal is The goal of the drilling is to memorize a particular multiplication table, and the drilling should only be done after the child understands the CONCEPT of multiplication. Please see the video below to fully understand the method. The teacher both POINTS to the problem (visual) and SAYS it out loud (auditory). The teacher points to various problems, MOVING his/her hand up/down the table, and the student can do the same movement. The way this is done provides a visual, auditory, and kinesthetic cue for the student. Seeing the structure of the table makes the task somewhat easier, because it reminds the children of the skip-counting pattern. Random drilling with flashcards or games is saved for later, after the student has mastered the table using this structured drill. Then the table is also practiced "backwards", again, with the complete table written in the correct order in front of the student, but the first multiplicands missing. The teacher will point to the problems in a random fashion. This means that the student sees the structure of the particular multiplication table written in front of him, just without the answers.
This method of drilling is NOT initially random, but structured.
How to memorize multiplication tables using a structured drill