About multiplication tables

      Tests for children to check how well they know the multiplication tables (times table, multiplication chart) from 1 to 10, addition tables, tables for subtraction and for division are very simple—you just ask the student for a random answer from any one of the tables. If the student answers correctly and instantly, then he or she knows the table. If the answer is correct, but the student has to think for a few seconds, then this will cause problems and errors when counting or calculating in the future, both in life and at exams. These future problems will only get worse. If the student answers incorrectly, you can be sure that this mistake will be repeated in a lesson or at an exam. And if one has the wrong answer in just a few cases from the multiplication table, then good grades may be lost because of a few basic or elementary errors. In this sense, mathematics a very severe discipline: if you write "24" instead of "25," it could mean goodbye to good grades!

      The problem of memorizing all the multiplication tables and other charts has existed for a long time and will continue to exist for all children. For some of them it is a minor problem (maybe some students just need to fix their knowledge of the multiplication table, because they already know most of the answers very well), but for someone else, this problem can be huge. This problem has existed for hundreds of years, and you probably already know different ways to solve it. However, here is my view on how to learn the multiplication tables:

     1) Ignorance of these tables leads to a very slow-thinking student, it takes a long time to do one's homework, many "stupid" errors are made, and lower grades result. This happens not only in primary school but also in high school and in college.

     2) Quick counting—a skill which is necessary for any person. This skill is useful throughout one's life. This is part of the human culture.

     3) Multiplication tables—they are very simple and very logical. It is as easy as riding a bicycle. How many ways do you know to teach someone to ride a bike? I know the only one: a person needs to drill, drill and drill until he will ride the bike with certainty and ease. You can make this much more complicated if you take a strange bike with 48 gears or much higher bike than it is necessary for you. You can take a strange "teacher" who will tell you every minute that you are a stupid idiot and that you will never learn, and that both of your feet are left, etc. Finally, however, the person will do it and — Hurray! - He is riding! After that, it is impossible to forget. Yes, someone grasps it quickly and another takes longer, but there is no one who cannot learn to ride a bicycle.

     4) Therefore, I offer a simple exercise—a game with two players. Indeed, one can easily see that such training can give good results. In Russia, you can ask any grandmother any question from the tables and she will instantly give you the correct answer from the multiplication or addition tables (because she drilled them very carefully in the past). Moreover, any student can easily answer that two times two is four! Thus, he can KNOW something in mathematics with certainty!

     5) My drill or game for the multiplication tables has some know-how:
      a) It should be done cheerfully and with certainty. Look at it as a game with the multiplication table. In addition, in this game, both will win!
      b) During all drilling, it is necessary to communicate with child in helping manner. The coach asks a student a question "Two times two?", listens to his response —"Four!", understands it and tells —"Right! (or OK, excellent, good, etc.)". Children like to communicate. With this exercise, you will communicate enough. This is one of the reasons why children like it.
      c) The student must be allowed to win! Do not turn to the other part of the table until the student become fully certain. It is much more useful when the student confidently knows at least the addition charts (or times charts) for 2 and 3 than he "knows" all the charts badly and with mistakes. When he knows something confidently, he understands that he can also learn the rest of the charts with confidence. He just needs more practice.

Addition table, subtraction table, division table

     These tables are also very important. It is also very useful to know them by heart. They are the basics of mathematics, not just grammar school mathematics. May be you never heard about subtraction and division tables. I believe that they are also useful and if you will spend some time for drilling them with your child he or she would count more certainly for the rest of their life.

     The best procedure is as follows - first learn addition till confidence, then subtraction till confidence. And it's better to do this at the beginning of grammar school - do not expect that the school will do it. And then - to the multiplication till full confidence and then - division. This order is the same for older students. For them drilling of the addition and multiplication charts can take only about one to two hours. But the result of the exercise would be fantastic! - The number of errors and the time of the calculations will decrease sharply.

     Ideally the student must immediately give the right answer to any question on any elementary action with the single-digit range.

      Free printable examples of the multiplication, addition, subtraction, division tables: