The Process of Learning Multiplication Facts
By the end of third grade, Connecticut students are expected to fluently multiply and divide within 100, knowing from memory all products of two one digit numbers. In other words, students should know all the facts from 1 x 1 to 9 x 9. Students should also be able to use their knowledge of multiplication facts to figure out the correlating division facts efficiently, flexibly and accurately.
During 3rd grade, students are working on developing their fluency in multiplication and division. Once they have a conceptual understanding of what is happening to numbers that are multiplied or divided, they begin to build strategies to help them become efficient, flexible and accurate in determining products. For example, since students were comfortable doubling numbers to determine a number x2, they learned that any x4 fact could be determined by doubling the double. These two steps are extremely important.
Once students own the concept of multiplication and division and have explored strategies and patterns, they begin to practice their facts to gain automaticity. At this point students should begin to spend several minutes a day practicing these facts until the goal of fact mastery is reached. Automaticity takes time to build.
Just ten minutes a day, strategically spent, can make mastering multiplication facts not only possible, but enjoyable. Please see the suggestion below for ways you can support your child.
Ways to Practice Multiplication Facts
Early in the Fluency Process:
Divide and Conquer - Choosing a few facts to practice until they are mastered is more effective than random practice. For example, many children need to work on 8x6 and 8x7. Have your child make several small cards or sticky notes with the fact including the answer. Let the child choose places throughout the house that they see often. For example: the bathroom mirror, top of the TV, door to their room, refrigerator, etc. Each time the child sees the fact, he repeats it several times. These also become the facts you ask several times a day verbally. Driving in the car, waiting for the bus, or other small chunks of time can be terrific opportunities to practice together.
Music - This is very helpful to some students. There are several resources for multiplication songs to download on line. Even more powerful is a student who makes her own song or learns to sing the facts to a favorite tune.
Physical Activity – Movement helps the brain learn! Jump rope, bounce a ball, or any other activity while saying the multiples of a number: 7, 14, 21, 28, 35,… Or throw a ball back and forth asking the facts currently being learned.
Games - Games can be extremely effective, but only if played strategically. They must be a "just right fit" for the specific facts the child is working on and not too easy or too hard. This is especially true with online games where a child may just be clicking answers without thought to strategies. We have some games attached below for specific multiplication tables and some suggestions in our online links to help you assist your child in finding a good fit.
Flash Cards - Some children like flash cards. Remember, work on only a few at a time until mastered, and have the child make them for added practice.
Visualizing Patterns - Use a 0-99 Chart to have students color multiples of a number. Ask them to observe what they see. What patterns are created? Ask them to predict what numbers would be coming next and check their predictions with a calculator.
Once students have some facts mastered, they should continue to review those facts while adding new target facts to their focus. This might look like 2 - 3 minutes of quick practice with the learned facts “bookending” five minutes of the new targeted facts. Beginning and ending with success can be a powerful encouragement to students working on the goal of fact fluency.
Practice Websites - There are two main types of sites for fact practice. One type allows your child to practice the specific fact family being learned, for example the 4x facts. This type can be helpful early on. The second type is for mixed practice and should be reserved for when the objective is to increase speed. There are links to sites of both types on the Links page.
Mastering all multiplication facts is quite an accomplishment. We encourage you to set goals with your child and celebrate with them along the way. Having their hard work recognized and admired by those they love goes a long way in developing their perseverance and success with this goal. Connect with your child's teacher if you need more games and/or strategies to practice at home.