How do I get my students to memorize their multiplication basic facts?

Question

How do you do it in your classroom? I have thought about having them make flashcards, and get a parent signature to show they study each night... but I don't know if that's the best way. I need some creative ideas! Can u help?? BTW, I teach fifth graders.

Answer 1

The best way is to make it a game. When kids are doing somthing and having fun with it they are more likely to remember it. You can either create the game or research a few online. They may already have some out there for what your looking for. When kids are having fun and not realizing they are learning it tends to stick with them longer.

Answer 2

my 4th grade teacher made us get in 2 lines and then he held up a flash card and the fastest person who got it gets a candy. then we had a "HALL OF FAME" and if you said your 2's trough 12s *ex.....  in less than 60 sec you get your name put up on the wall.

Answer 3

make it home work get flash cards and copy em!

Answer 4

I use Mad Minutes before every math class.  My students love the competition!  Also, I have a friend who uses multiplication rap songs.  I'm not sure where she found them, but I'm sure if you search online, you will find them!  A quick drill with flash cards using __ x 1 through 12 should also help.

Answer 5

i had graded time tests...those were really fun

Answer 6

flash cards have been proven as the best memorization method

Answer 7

They shouldn't HAVE to learn the "Times Table" anymore - it's all done with a calculator and it's pointless now.

Answer 8

Fun Fact Friday

You can buy a workbook with 100 facts for each number. In our program we had three different sheets for each number. Then we had practice sheets too. To start just see what you can put together. On Friday the children were given a 100 sheet and 5 minutes. If they finished they got a star on the chart. We started with addition, then subtraction, multiplication, division, and mixed facts. They had to get 100 three different times to finish a set. I gave them practice sheets whenever possible during the week, and asked the parents to use flash cards. I had all children finish their 100 sheet even if it took a lot longer then 5 minutes. There were rewards too, extra recess, and our program was school wide so we had T-shirts that had the symbols on and as they passed a set they got the symbol colored in. As the year went on I moved along even if they hadn't passed their set, and they wound up with the new set and unpassed set, so I gave two tests on Friday. Of course, not every one is willing to learn their facts, but this does really help. There are also fun computer sites that have fact practice exercises. At the end of the year we also had a math B with all the third grades and awarded a 1,2,and 3 place to our top students. It was great and made the learning fun.

My last year of teaching I had a little boy that was as ADD as they come, smart but never focused. For whatever reason he decided to learn his facts for the Math B. He did it without my being aware of what he was learning. When I was picking my students for the B, I almost didn't include him because he hadn't passed any of the timed tests, but as a final elimination I gave every child a chance. He surprised the heck out of me and won my class, he went on to come in second in the third grade B. He couldn't believe he didn't win the whole grade level, but it sure made him proud of himself. It's nice to see them succeed.

Answer 9

I'm not sure what you mean exactly by "basic facts,"  but I learned them using songs...

For example, to learn the 4-X table, use the tune of Row, Row, Row Your Boat.   Just replace words with the multiples of 4.  Ex.

4 [row], 8[row], 12[row], 16[your boat], 20[gently], 24[down the stream],  28[merily], 32[merily], 36[merily], 40[merily], 44[life is], 48[but a dream.].

Sing the numbers,  not the words.  With each number you sing,  lift a finger.  The number of fingers lifted is the variable.  

If the multiplication problem is 4 x 5,  the student sings the song and lifts the fingers until the 5th finger is raised.  By the fifth finger the number sang is 20,   thus,  that is the answer!

There are enough children's songs to go with almost All times table numbers.   "Where is Thumbkin?"  goes with 6 & 7;  "Jingle Bells" goes with 3;  "if you're happy and you know it clap your hands"  goes with 8.

I hope this helps!  Sorry if this wasn't what you were asking!

Answer 10

I agree with graded timed tests. It makes the students memorize them quickly.

Answer 11

Do a basic facts quiz every day at the beginning of class. Like 10 problems, if they get them wrong, they have to recopy that problem 10 times. Only count it for a grade on like Fridays or something.

Thats how my teachers made us learn multiplication facts.

Answer 12

Sing songs or make up riddles.

Thats the only thing that helped me.

Answer 13

Start off be teaching your students how to count by 2s, 3s, 4,

and so on. A pattern will to form for them. Teach them the tricks of multiplication. The 9 pattern and figure play. When a student gives you the correct answer, give an immediate reward system for the whole class. Give a short quiz each day. Keep score and when the class earns a certain amount of point let them see a movie. Use different teach techniques.

Just keep trying to you find what works.

Answer 14

Put it to music.

I am 33 years old and still have some of those little tunes in my head.

The only problem with music is that you don't want students to have to sing the whole song to just remember part of it, like the ABCs.  If you have to sing the alphabet song to know what letter comes before H, for example, then that's no good.  So you must use a variety of techniques.

You can try Multiplication Rock, from School House Rock.

http://www.school-house-rock.com/multipl...

Answer 15

one word.....rewards

you should get candy you know to motivate them

you should also have like little assessments and have

like a leaderboard

fifth graders are competitive

so have like a gift for the leader every week

Answer 16

Try to incorporate multiplication into fun games and offer the winner a small prize. What my teacher did was he established something called "class currency". Then he would hold various contests such as whiteboard games. Each person would have a whiteboard and the teacher asked basic multiplication facts. He would give us around 5 to 7 seconds to write down the answer and he would eliminate those who couldn't answer the question in time or got it wrong. Then this went down with questions that got harder and harder. Eventually, two people were left and the winner would win a prize of "class money". At the end of every trimester the class money would be handed in for small prizes, candy, and food. Flashcards are also a good alternative :).