How To Teach Times Tables

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I started teaching time tables to my DD when she was 5. Playfully we used to recite 1 and 2 tables. I used to ask her to repeat at next day. Then the following week we moved to 3 table and reviewing 2 table also. It went on like that and that helped her a lot in the class work. When the teacher gave the hw of time tables, she used that time in other things.Further she informed me that many kids found it difficult to memorize the time table in her class.

What we need is to start at early age, they won`t feel the time tables as a burden that time. More than that we should have patience to do it repeatedly.You can motivate your kid by awarding something if he tells a time table correctly.

 

Memorizing the times tables is good. It will free the mind for other manipulations in basic arithmetic. However, it is important to teach the child where multplication comes from. Make an effort to convey that multiplication is simply addition in groups. Show that it's not magic.

Take a look at this video. Use buttons - or just collect a lot of little circles from a hole puncher - to show how multiplication works and why 2 x 4 (two groups of 4) is the same as 4 x 2 (4 groups of 2). You can ask her to lay out buttons (or paper circles) for various combinations on demand and make a game of it.

The child will soon see that memorizing the tables is a shortcut. Demystification will reinforce understanding.