Six Best Way to Teach Multiplication Facts
Hello, everyone! Today, I want to share the best way to teach multiplication facts with you, plus some bonus tips and tricks on how to make math fun and easy for kids.
Because of this, we will cover one of the essential math skills: multiplication. Multiplication is the foundation for many other topics, such as fractions, decimals, percentages, and algebra.
But what is the best way to teach multiplication facts such as it becomes engaging, effective, and enjoyable for our students/kids?
Here are some ideas that I have tried and loved:
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- Memorize multiplication facts;
- Use multiplication worksheets;
- Make multiplication facts fun with games and songs
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- Practice with online training exercises
- Practice with times tables chart
- Use multiplication flashcards
Let's dive in!
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How to make multiplication facts engaging, effective, and enjoyable
1. Make multiplication facts easy to memorize
One of the best ways to help students memorize multiplication facts is skip-counting. Skip-counting is when you start with a number and keep adding the same number repeatedly.
For example, if you want to memorize the 3 times table, you can skip-count by 3s: 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21, 24, 27, 30. This way, you can see the pattern and remember the answers faster.
You can also practice skip-counting backward, starting from the highest number and subtracting the same number each time.
For example, for the 3 times table, you can start from 30 and go backward: 30, 27, 24, 21, 18, 15, 12, 9, 6, 3. This helps students recall the facts in reverse order and strengthens their mental math skills.
Download skip-counting worksheets pdf
2. Download and print free multiplication facts worksheets
Another way to reinforce multiplication facts is to use worksheets with different exercises.
For example, you can use worksheets with fill-in-the-blanks, matching, multiple-choice, or word problems. You can also use worksheets with different difficulty levels, such as easy, medium, or hard.
Worksheets are great because they provide students with immediate feedback and allow them to practice independently. You can also use worksheets as homework assignments or assessments.
Download multiplication facts worksheets pdf
3. Make multiplication facts fun with games and songs
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The third fun way to teach multiplication facts is to use games and songs that make learning enjoyable and memorable.
For example, you can use games like bingo, memory, or flashcards that require students to match or recall multiplication facts quickly and accurately.
You can also use songs that have catchy tunes and lyrics that help students remember the facts.
For example, you can use songs like "Three Is a Magic Number" by Schoolhouse Rock or "Multiplication Rap" by Rock 'N Learn.
Games and songs are great for teaching multiplication facts because they appeal to different learning styles and motivate students to learn.
4. Practice with free online training exercises
One of the advantages of online training exercises is that they are interactive and engaging. They can provide instant feedback and track the progress of the learners.
Many websites and apps offer online training exercises for multiplication facts, such as Math-WordProblems.com. The platform has different difficulty levels and various types of questions, such as multiple-choice, fill-in-the-blank, and drag-and-drop. It also has gamified features, such as points, badges, and leaderboards, which motivate the learners to practice more and improve their skills.
5. Use times tables chart
Another helpful method to teach multiplication facts is to use a times tables chart. A times tables chart is a grid that shows the products of two numbers from 1 to 12. It can help the learners visualize the patterns and relationships between the numbers.
For example, they can see that the products on the diagonal are the squares of the numbers or that the products on a row or a column are multiples of the same number.
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A times tables chart can also help them memorize the facts by repetition and recall. They can use it as a reference or a cheat sheet when doing homework or taking a test.
6. Take advantage of multiplication flashcards
To teach multiplication facts, you can also use multiplication flashcards. Multiplication flashcards are cards with multiplication problems on one side and the answers on the other. They can be used to practice and test the learners' knowledge of the facts.
They can also be used to play games, like matching pairs, bingo, or memory. Multiplication flashcards can be made at home with paper and markers or bought online or at a store. They can also be customized with different colors, shapes, or pictures to make them more appealing and fun.
These are the six best methods to teach multiplication facts that I recommend. They are all easy to implement and effective in helping the learners master this essential math skill.
By using online games and songs, training exercises, multiplication worksheets, times tables charts, multiplication flashcards, and memorizing strategies, you will see a significant improvement in kids’ confidence and performance in math.
Try them out today, and let me know how it goes!
