So that this event does not become a real test for you and your student, we asked the math teacher to give some valuable advice. As it turned out, the task of parents, first of all, is to explain the principle of the multiplication table, and then with the help of mathematical games to work out the learned material. We tell you in detail how to do it.
Step 1. Explain how it works
For many children, an eight-column table with a large number of digits looks scary in itself, «how do I remember all this?». It is important to convey to the child that in fact, everything is not as difficult as it may seem at first glance.
Telling how the multiplication table works, more often refer to examples, demonstrate how and where it is used. For example, a kid invites five friends to his birthday, for each you need to prepare two glasses (one for water, one for soda), how many glasses will you need? Similar analogies allow you to develop imaginative thinking and it is easier to assimilate the material.
Show the student and explain the Pythagorean table. For many guys, it looks much more understandable and logical than the classic multiplication table of the «example-solution» format. You can offer him to fill out the table himself, because he already knows how to add numbers.
Open to him a life hack about multiplication by 9. Write down on a piece of paper all the examples from 9 in order, that is 9*1, 9*2, 9*3, 9*4 etc. After the equal sign from top to bottom, write the numbers from 0 to 9, one digit near each example, and then write the numbers from 9 to 0 next to it in descending order. And now look at the result, you have the correct answers to each of the actions. That’s so simple and clear, minus one «column» for memorization.
It is also useful to immediately explain a number of patterns that will simplify the learning process. For example, when multiplying by 1, the digit does not change, when multiplying by 2, it simply adds up with itself, and when multiplying by 10, 0 is only added to it. When multiplying any number by 5, the last digit of the answer will be 5 or 0, and so on. Such hints will again facilitate the perception of the child, help him reduce the number of examples to memorize.
Step 2. Help to learn
We recommend using the «cards» method. Write out each example on a separate small card prepared in advance from paper or cardboard. On the one hand, the action should be written, for example, 3 * 3, and on the reverse side, the answer is 9. The child can first look at the action and say the solution, and then in reverse order — look at the answer and say what was multiplied by what. With the help of cards, you can play together with the baby, the winner is the one who gives more correct answers or scores more points in one minute.
An important principle in this case is not to require the child to immediately memorize the entire table, it needs to be taught in parts, in order, returning to the already memorized examples and repeating them regularly.
Step 3. Practicing the skill
After the child has memorized the multiplication table, it is important to practice regularly and develop the skill so that, as they say, it bounces off the teeth. It is worth doing this in a playful way, so that the student is interested, and he does not get tired after two or three solved examples.
The game «Battle of rectangles». For this game you will need pens of different colors (you can take markers or pencils), two game cubes and one sheet of paper in a cage. This game is designed for two people.
The first player throws the dice and draws a square or rectangle on a piece of paper, the sides of the figures must be equal to the numbers that fell on the dice. For example, 4 and 7 fell out on the cubes, so we draw a rectangle with one side of which will be 4 centimeters, and the other 7. You need to start positioning the figures from the top or bottom corner of the page. After the player has drawn a figure, he must calculate its area, in our case 4×7 = 28. Next, the dice are thrown by the second player and begins to fill in his field from the opposite corner.
The pieces of each player resulting from all the following moves must touch each other with at least one side. If the piece does not fit into the remaining free field, the player skips a move. The winner is the one whose pieces take up more space on the sheet.
The game «On the fingers». Using fingers, it is easy to solve different examples, consider multiplication by 7 and 8. Ask the child to stretch out his hands in front of him, the palms should be turned to the face. Explain to him that the fingers have their own numbers, the little fingers are 6, the ring fingers are 7, the middle ones are 8, and the index fingers are 9, the thumbs remain without numbers.
We try to solve the example «6 by 8», connect the finger number 6 on the left hand with the finger number 8 on the right, look at the number of fingers that remain below, including those that we used, in our case there are 4, this figure will be the first in the answer, remember it. Those fingers that remain above the selected ones, we must multiply with each other, that is, we multiply four fingers of the left hand by two fingers of the right and get 8, this figure will be the second in our solution, the answer is ready: 6 by 8 equals 48.
There is another variation of this game with multiplication by 9. We also ask the child to stretch out his hands in front of him, but with his palms down. In this case, each finger will have its own number: the little finger on the left hand will be the first, on the right the tenth, the rest in order. Let’s try to solve the example: 5*9. We bend the finger, which was mentally the fifth. The number of fingers up to the curved finger shows dozens in the answer, in our case it is 4 fingers = 40. The number of fingers on the right will show units. In our case, this is 5. We solve the example: 40+5 = 45 and 5×9 = 45. So you can train and make different examples to each other.
When memorizing the multiplication table, use modern tools, for example, there are many videos for children on YouTube that tell in an interesting and entertaining way about how the multiplication table works, there are mobile and online games that allow you to train memorization, board themed games. If there are any difficulties or you do not have enough time to study with your child on your own, do not be afraid to contact a tutor.
While helping your child learn the multiplication table, be sure to be patient, remember that you also did not remember it right away. Do not scold the student for mistakes, patiently correct them if necessary, and also take an active part in the learning process: listen to his answers, play games together, then the multiplication table will not be a nightmare, but another interesting step in the school educational process.
