Learning the times tables is a fundamental step in any child's childhood. This is a time-consuming memorization process, but by following a few simple tips and using a few tricks, you can achieve the goal with a little practice. Once memorized, you can try to speed up the information retrieval process so that the answers automatically come to your mind as soon as you hear the question. Not all times tables have the same difficulty in memorizing: some are considerably simpler than others, but many offer useful clues that make them easier to memorize.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Approaching the Times Tables
Step 1. Learn one times table at a time
Choose to memorize only one multiplication table at a time. Start with the simpler ones, such as 2, 10, 5, and 11. Over time, you will be able to venture into learning the more complex ones, such as the 7 and 8 times table, eventually mastering the knowledge of a good number of times tables.
Remember a fundamental rule of multiplication: the product of 1 x 4 gives the same result as 4 x 1. Thanks to it you have to concentrate on memorizing only half of the times tables, since the other half is simply equivalent to writing in a different way those already learned
Step 2. Take your time
You don't have to sit at your desk and learn all the times tables in one study session. Experience shows that this study method is the worst that can be adopted. Pick one table at a time, then focus solely on that one. Take all the time you need to get to master the selected times table without any hesitation or difficulty; at that point you can focus on learning the next one.
- Spend about 15-20 minutes every day studying teaching cards or math games that will help you learn the times table you have chosen.
- There are countless math games online with different themes that can be used for this purpose. For example, if you like dinosaurs, look for one that has these prehistoric giants as a theme to make the learning process a lot more fun and challenging.
Step 3. Ask your family members to question you about the times tables
After studying sufficiently, when you feel ready, you can ask one of your family members to test your current preparation. This process will help you memorize the long-term times tables and minimize your response times.
Once you have memorized all the times tables, you can ask your family to question you across the board, without focusing on one table at a time
Part 2 of 3: Learn Some Tricks
Step 1. Remember that any number multiplied by 0 always results in 0
The zero times table is the simplest to memorize precisely because the answer to be given is always 0.
For example: 0 x 1 = 0, 0 x 5 = 0, 0 x 8 = 0, etc
Step 2. Remember that any number multiplied by 1 results in itself
The 1 times table is very easy to learn because multiplying a number by 1 will always result in the number itself. Don't forget that there is an exception to this rule which concerns the number 0.
For example: 1 x 2 = 2, 1 x 4 = 4, 1 x 7 = 7, etc
Step 3. To learn the 2 times table, add each number to itself
To memorize the 2 times table more easily, you can keep in mind that multiplying a number by 2 is simply adding it to itself. So instead of memorizing all the numbers in this times table, simply proceed to add the required number to itself. Congratulations, you just learned the 2 times table without any effort!
- For example: 2 x 4 = 8, but also 4 + 4 = 8.
- The same happens for any other number: 2 x 3 = 6 (3 + 3 = 6), 2 x 5 = 10 (5 + 5 = 10), etc.
Step 4. Recognize the pattern that characterizes the 5 times table
In this case the least significant digit of each product will always be 5 or 0. The numerical pattern starts with 5 and then repeats itself alternating 0 and 5. For example: 5 x 1 = 5, 5 x 2 = 10, 5 x 3 = 15.5 x 4 = 20, etc. There are two other useful tricks to memorize the times table of 5 faster: remember that the product of a number times 5 is always equal to half the product of the same number times 10 and that the product of even numbers times 5 is always equal to half of the product of the same even numbers by 10.
- For example: 5 x 4 = half of (10 x 4). 10 x 4 = 40, half of 40 is 20 in fact 5 x 4 = 20.
- Another example: 5 x 4 = (half of 4) x 10, half of 4 is 2, 2 x 10 = 20 in fact 5 x 4 = 20.
Step 5. Remember that when you multiply an even number by 6 the least significant digit of the resulting product will always equal the number itself
A very useful trick in learning the 6 times table is therefore to pay close attention to memorizing the last digit of the result. However, remember that this trick is only applicable to even numbers; when you multiply an even number by 6 the last digit of the product will always be equal to the number itself.
For example: 6 x 2 = 12, 6 x 4 = 24, 6 x 6 = 36, 6 x 8 = 48, etc
Step 6. To learn the 9 times table, multiply the number by 10, then subtract the number from the product
A trick to quickly memorize the times table of 9 is to multiply each number by 10 and subtract the number itself from the result.
- For example: 9 x 4. Do the first multiplication 4 x 10 = 40, then subtract 4 from the result to get the final answer, which is 40 - 4 = 36 exactly like 9 x 4 = 36.
- Another example: 9 x 8. 10 x 8 = 80, 80 - 8 = 72 exactly like 9 x 8 = 72.
- Note that the numbers of the final product, when added together, give exactly 9! In the case of 9 x 4 = 36, 3 + 6 = 9. In the case of 9 x 8 = 72, 7 + 2 = 9. This trick can be applied to numbers 2 and 9.
Step 7. To learn the 10 times table, simply add a zero to each number
When you multiply any number by 10, the product is always equal to the number itself followed by a 0. Again there is an exception for the number 0, since 0 x 10 = 0.
For example 10 x 2 = 20, 10 x 7 = 70, 10 x 9 = 90, etc
Step 8. When studying the 11 times table, you simply need to repeat the same number twice (only for numbers 1 to 9)
The multiplication table of 11 is very simple to learn but limited to the numbers between 1 and 9, in fact in these cases the final product will be given simply by the repetition of the number itself. From number 9 onwards you will have to memorize the results as usual: 11 x 10 = 110, and 11 x 11 = 121.
For example: 11 x 2 = 22, 11 x 3 = 33, 11 x 4 = 44, etc
Part 3 of 3: Using Tools to Facilitate Times Table Memorization
Step 1. Use the didactic cards
Create a card for each of the times tables you need to learn. While this step may seem tedious, the process behind creating these cards will actually help you memorize the times tables. When you have finished creating your multiplication tables, take some time each day to study them carefully until you have mastered them.
- Focus on only one multiplication table at a time.
- When scrolling through your teaching cards, remember to put those relating to the multiplication tables on which you have the most difficulty at the top of the list in order to view them several times during a single study session.
Step 2. Practice
Once you have mastered the instruction sheets, you can practice doing some calculations manually. As usual, start with a single set of numbers at a time. When you master the multiplication of a single times table, you can try to perform multiplications involving multiple sets of numbers in order to test your overall readiness.
If you know that the checks or tests you face at school are timed, practice by setting yourself with a stopwatch
Step 3. Sing a song following it with your hand movements
There are complete albums with which you can learn the times tables by singing. You can listen to them to learn the times tables in steps of music without having to resort to memorizing through mechanical repetition. Listen to the different versions of the songs to find the one that works best for you.
To make the learning process much more interactive, you can perform hand movements or dance steps that visually illustrate the different numbers and their product
Step 4. Use mnemonic nursery rhymes to facilitate the memorization process
There are mnemonic techniques and special devices to facilitate the memorization of information. The nursery rhymes for children, for example those of the series "Singing Tables Cartoons", help to memorize the times tables by associating the numbers with characters and funny stories.
- Phrases like "5 6 7 8, 56 equals 7 times 8" are also very useful for learning.
- There are several methods that can facilitate the storage of information, you just have to find the one that best suits you and your needs.
Step 5. Use math games
After learning the times tables, you can use math games to speed up your response times. There are many sites on the web that offer games and quizzes of this type that can help you master the times tables and speed up response times.
- For a child, math games are a much more exciting and interactive way to learn multiplication tables.
- Some of these games integrate visual or graphic aids whose purpose is to create relationships between numbers to facilitate learning.
- Another very fun way to learn multiplication tables is to draw pictures that represent the various multiplications. For example, in the case of 2 x 3, you can draw 3 dogs each of which has 2 eyes and focus attention on the total number of eyes in the image (i.e. 6).
Step 6. Relate numbers and multiplications to everyday life
Try to find ways to integrate the multiplication tables into everyday life; in this way you will learn the times tables through their real purpose, rather than through a simple mechanical memorization process.
For example, if you know that a particular holiday is 8 weeks away, you can use multiplication tables to calculate the number of days to wait. Knowing that a week consists of 7 days, the correct answer is 7 x 8 = 56. There are only 56 days left for your next vacation
Advice
- Remember to reward yourself every time you are successful without, on the contrary, being too hard on yourself when you don't remember a times table perfectly. In the latter case, review the correct answers and keep repeating them aloud until you have memorized them correctly.
- Studying with friends is always much more fun and effective than doing it alone.
