How to teach multiplication facts to 3rd Graders: worksheets & strategies

Before you start teaching multiplication facts to your 3rd graders, ensure they understand what multiplication means and how it works. Mathskills4kids.com have you covered with engaging tips and tricks that you can use to Introduce Multiplication to 3rd Graders.

Some of them include:

• Use concrete objects and manipulatives to show what multiplication means. For example, you can use counters, blocks, beads, or coins to show how many groups of a certain number there are. You can also use arrays, which are arrangements of objects in rows and columns, to show how multiplication is related to repeated addition.

  For example, you can show that 3 x 4 = 12 by making an array of 3 rows and 4 columns of counters:

  o   o   o   o
  o   o   o   o
  o   o   o   o

  You can then explain that this means adding 3 four times: `3 + 3 + 3 + 3 = 12`.

• Use stories and real-life examples to make multiplication relevant and meaningful. For example, you can use scenarios involving food, toys, money, animals, or sports to show how multiplication can be used to find the total number of items or the total cost of something.

  You can also use word problems that involve multiplication to challenge your students or children to apply their knowledge and skills.

  For example: `Lisa has 5 bags of candy. Each bag has 6 pieces of candy. How many pieces of candy does Lisa have in total?`

• Use songs, rhymes, games, and videos to make multiplication fun and memorable. For example, you can use catchy tunes or chants to help your students or children remember the times tables.

  You can also use interactive games or apps that involve matching, sorting, or racing to practice multiplication facts. You can also use videos that explain multiplication concepts or strategies in an entertaining way.

Once your students or children understand what multiplication means and how it works, you will help them practice the multiplication facts until they become fluent and automatic. Here are some fun and effective activities and games that you can use to practice multiplication facts with your 3rd graders:

• Use flashcards to drill the multiplication facts. Flashcards are cards that have a multiplication fact on one side and the answer on the other side. You can use flashcards to quiz your students or children on multiplication facts individually, in pairs, or groups.

  You can also use flashcards to play games, such as Memory, Bingo, or War. For example, in War, you can deal the flashcards evenly among the players, and then each player flips over one card at a time. The player with the highest product (answer) wins the cards. The game continues until one player has all the cards or until a time limit is reached.

• Use worksheets to practice the multiplication facts. Worksheets are sheets of paper that have exercises or problems involving multiplication facts. You can use worksheets to review, reinforce, or assess your students or children's knowledge and skills on multiplication facts.

  You can also use worksheets to introduce different strategies or tricks for learning the multiplication facts, such as skip counting, doubling, halving, or inverse operation (division).

  For example, you can show that 4 x 6 = 24 by skip counting by 4 six times: "4, 8, 12, 16, 20, 24". You can also show that 8 x 7 = 56 by doubling 4 x 7: “4 x 7 = 28”, “28 x 2 = 56”. You can also show that 9 x 5 = 45 by dividing "45 ÷ 9 = 5".

• Use online resources to practice multiplication facts. Online resources are websites or apps with interactive activities or games involving multiplication facts. You can use online resources to supplement your lessons or worksheets on multiplication facts.

  You can also use online resources to motivate your students or children to practice multiplication facts in a fun and engaging way. For example, you can use online resources with colorful graphics, animations, sounds, or feedback to make the multiplication facts more appealing and exciting.

  You can also use online resources with different difficulty levels, challenges, or rewards to make the multiplication facts more interesting and rewarding.

After you have taught and practiced the multiplication facts with your students or children, you will assess their progress and mastery of the times tables. You can use various methods to assess their understanding and fluency of the multiplication facts, such as oral quizzes, written tests, timed drills, or games.

However, one of the easiest and most convenient ways to assess their multiplication skills is using Mathskills4kids’ free printable worksheets and answer keys.

Worksheets are useful for practicing or learning how to teach multiplication facts to 3rd Graders and assessing them. You can use worksheets to measure how well your students or children know and recall the multiplication facts. You can also use worksheets to identify their strengths and weaknesses on the times tables. You can then use this information to provide feedback, guidance, or remediation.

To help you assess your students or children's multiplication skills, we have prepared free printable worksheets and answer keys. These worksheets cover all the basic multiplication facts from 0 x 0 to 12 x 12.

They include various exercises or problems, such as fill-in-the-blanks, multiple choice, matching, word problems, and puzzles.

You can use these worksheets as homework assignments, classwork activities, review materials, or assessment tools. You can also customize these worksheets according to your preferences or needs. For example, you can choose which multiplication facts to include or exclude in each worksheet. You can also adjust each worksheet's number of questions or difficulty level.

Teaching and learning multiplication facts can be hard work, but it can also be rewarding and fun. You will celebrate their achievements and efforts after teaching, practicing, and assessing the multiplication facts with your students or children. You need to recognize their progress and mastery of the times tables and encourage them to keep up the good work.

There are many ways to celebrate multiplication facts with your students or children. Here are some ideas for rewards and recognition that you can use to make them feel proud and happy about their multiplication skills:

• Give them certificates or badges for completing each times table or achieving a certain score or speed on a worksheet or a test.
• Give them stickers or stamps for each correct answer on a worksheet or a test.
• Give them prizes or treats for reaching a certain goal or milestone on the times tables.
• Display their worksheets or tests on a bulletin board or a wall of fame.
• Throw them a party or a picnic to master all the times tables.