FIVE FUN WAYS TO LEARN THE MULTIPLICATION TABLES

Knowledge of the tables up to twelve and the confidence to recall the multiplication facts is an integral part of the national mathematics curriculum.  For some children recalling the facts quickly and accurately is difficult with the consequence that they lose confidence in their maths skills.

The following activities are fun ways to learn and practise the multiplication tables.

1.  Use online interactive activities and resources, many of which are free.  Traditional games and rhymes can be adapted, for example, play hopscotch counting 4, 8, 12, etc or sing the multiples of 3 to the tune of jingle bells.   

2   2.  Build arrays.  Encourage your child to draw or build arrays using building bricks, sticky labels or beads.  Arrays help children recognise that multiplication is repeated addition.

3  3.  Practice Doubling.  Being confident with doubling numbers means that your child can use this understanding when learning trickier times tables.  If your child can double they can times any number by four by using the strategy of doubling and doubling again. For example; to answer 4 x 7 first double 7 which is 14, then double 14 for the final answer of 28. Try throwing a dice to generate numbers to double.

4.  Practise the times tables with missing facts.  This can be done by completing 2 x * = 24 type questions but is just as effective if done verbally as well as drawing diagrams.  This activity also reinforces division facts.  
For example: 

5  5.  Make it random.  Practising the multiplication tables out of sequence helps build confidence.  This can be done by selecting a table to focus on and turning over playing cards to create a sum (use the jack as x11 and the queen as x12 and the king as the square number).

Short, regular practice, using a variety of methods and activities to make the learning enjoyable, will support your child in learning the multiplication tables.