It saves us time and effort compared to manually calculating everything. With just a quick multiplication, we get our answers efficiently and in no time.

Multiplication is key in both basic and advanced math. But mastering it becomes easy when kids learn and memorize times tables.

Once they’ve got their times tables down, multiplication becomes a breeze. There are fun and interactive ways like DIY crafts, games, and activities that make learning multiplication exciting.

These methods help kids understand multiplication in a tangible way. Plus, they serve as a great addition to study material and resources for parents and educators.

We’ve compiled some quirky and fun multiplication charts that will make learning even more enjoyable. Keep reading till the end to discover a special bonus we’ve added for you! 

Multiplication charts for kids 

Multiplication Charts are a great study material and they are designed in a way that will spike up a kid’s attention and make the learning process more unique and fulfilling.

These charts are easy to use, easy to carry, and designed for easy comprehension. These simple and precisely designed charts allow kids to not only learn times tables by repetition but also practice the learned material and keep on improving their abilities. 

We have a set of six charts, that include- 

• A colorful chart with 1 to 20 times tables. The times tables have been written in beautiful colorful boxes with colorful backgrounds on the chart making it more appealing. 

• Next, we have a multiplication chart matrix that covers times tables 1 to 12 for 12 times. It is a unique chart where kids learn how multiplication works and is used in mathematical problems. 

• Lastly, we have a similar multiplication chart matrix that covers 1 to 12 for 12 times. But this time, this matrix is empty and kids have to fill in the numbers on their own. It’s a great way to practice the learned material and apply the learned knowledge.  

Benefits of using our multiplication charts 

Multiplication skills are used in one way or another for a lifetime. The charts make it easy to grab and understand these skills and make use of them. Some other benefits of using multiplication charts are- 

1. Interactive visualization

These printable multiplication charts are designed to catch children’s attention and keep them engaged. The use of vibrant colors and graphics makes the chart visually appealing.

The easy-to-read fonts ensure that kids can quickly decipher and understand the information. It’s a great addition to their daily study routine.

2. Self-paced learning tool 

Self-paced learning lets kids explore lessons at their own speed. They can learn, revise, or practice whenever they choose to get the most out of their studies.

Our multiplication charts are designed to support this style of learning. They help reinforce concepts and build the mental skills needed for both basic and advanced math operations.

3. Memory enhancement

Multiplication is a perfect example of rote learning, and the multiplication chart helps kids repeatedly see and revise the tables. This constant repetition allows them to learn the tables by heart, improving their memory.

Kids can refresh what they’ve learned by revisiting the chart whenever they need a quick revision. This helps them strengthen their understanding and retain the multiplication tables for the long term.

4. Reference tool 

Multiplication can be challenging and sometimes a bit boring for kids. It’s unrealistic to expect young learners to remember every number and its multiplication instantly.

In such cases, multiplication charts are a helpful reference tool. Kids can easily check the chart whenever they feel confused or forget any details. 

5. Pattern recognition and Conceptual learning 

Multiplication charts help kids understand the relationships between different numbers and how arithmetic operations work. Grasping the logic behind multiplication ensures more accurate learning and clearer concepts.

This strong foundation in multiplication is essential for advanced mathematics. Having a solid grasp of multiplication tables from an early age makes it easier to tackle more complex math problems, and these charts are a great way to build that foundation.

Get more than 10,000 + Kids Worksheets, Activities Pages, Coloring Pages, Templates, Classroom Posters, and Other Educational Resources visit our store .

Different ways of using multiplication charts 

The benefits of multiplication charts are hard to overlook and so are the number of ways these charts can be used by educators and parents for their kids. Different ways these charts can be used are- 

1. Tests and quizzes 

One of the easiest ways to use the multiplication chart is in the classroom or for home tests and quizzes. As an educator or a parent, you can quiz random multiplication problems from students.

If they are stuck at some point, multiplication charts are there to help them. It will build their confidence and improve their multiplication skills. 

2. Pin them as wall hangings 

Multiplication charts make great room decorating items. And why not? These colorful and visually appealing charts will make a great addition to the kid’s surrounding areas.

Simply hang these charts in classrooms near your kid’s study table or in his/her room. Simply glancing at the charts for a few minutes can help kids remember the multiplication tables and memorize them. 

3. Real-life multiplication problems 

Mathematics is better understood when it is learned through application and multiplication tables are no exception. Educators can engage kids in basic multiplication-related problems, such as suppose Harry had to distribute 4 chocolates to 15 people. How many total chocolates did Harry need in the first place? And so on.

Here, the added multiplication tool will serve a useful role in guiding kids and helping them engage in more than rote learning, that is analytical learning. 

4. Project ideas 

Projects are always fun-filled and awaited by most of the students. Educators can ask students to create some math-related projects that will require the use of multiplication charts, such as board games or dice games.

Additionally, teachers can come up with some multiplication games or activities to play in the classroom and use the charts as a part of them. 

5. Combining multiplication charts with flashcards 

Flashcards are a great learning tool that makes the process of learning more fun and interactive. Students can simply design their multiplication flashcards and practice multiplication over it.

Multiplication flashcards will serve various purposes, such as helping kids brainstorm, rote learn, successfully retrieve the learned content, and apply the multiplication tables in various domains. 

BONUS: Printable fun multiplication workbook for kids PDF

Besides the above multiplication charts, we’ve got you a comprehensive multiplication workbook for kids to practice and master the skill. This workbook offers a variety of exercises designed to reinforce multiplication concepts.

It includes fun activities, puzzles, and practice problems that help children apply what they’ve learned in a creative way. Each section is designed to cater to different learning paces, ensuring that kids can progress at their own speed while strengthening their understanding.

The workbook not only focuses on memorization but also emphasizes the logic behind multiplication, helping kids build a strong mathematical foundation. It’s an excellent resource for both parents and educators to support children’s learning journey.

Wrapping up 

Multiplication charts are a multi-purpose study tool that caters to the needs of the students and guides them in mastering the art of multiplication, that is times tables.

It helps kids improve their mental abilities, and cognitive skills, and achieve a strong hold on mathematical concepts. These charts serve dual purposes, first, kids can use them as a reference tool and keep on learning and revising the content and second, they can also practice multiplication skills on these charts to refine their skills.

It is a great addition to a student’s study folder or a resource for parents who are homeschooling their kids. So, go ahead and grab your prints now!!! 

Manpreet Singh

An engineer, Maths expert, Online Tutor and animal rights activist. In more than 5+ years of my online teaching experience, I closely worked with many students struggling with dyscalculia and dyslexia. With the years passing, I learned that not much effort being put into the awareness of this learning disorder. Students with dyscalculia often misunderstood for having  just a simple math fear. This is still an underresearched and understudied subject. I am also the founder of Smartynote -‘The notepad app for dyslexia’, 

The post Printable Multiplication Chart for Kids  appeared first on Number Dyslexia.

However, educators and parents now understand that it is important for kids to learn through alternate methods. Art integration in education, including mathematics, is a fun way of helping kids strengthen their math skills. Therefore, after sharing a printable math and art integration lesson plan, we are here to share with you a fun multiplication craft that kids can make, learn from, and play games with. So, here we begin!

Cute multiplication craft to learn times tables

Things you’ll need:

• Colored paper (white, pink, and green)
• Black marker
• Green straw
• Glue
• Tape
• Scissors (Disclaimer: Adult supervision is required as a pair of scissors is a sharp tool. Please be vigilant.)

Steps to follow:

Start by cutting two squares out of the white and pink-colored sheets. The white square is 13 x 13 cm in size, and the pink square is 10 x 10 cm. 

Take the pink square and fold it diagonally, as shown in the image above, to obtain a right-angled triangle. 

Now, fold the triangle along the midline to form a smaller triangle. Fold the obtained triangle once again to form yet another right-angled triangle.

Now, unfold the right-angled triangle. You will notice a crease in the center. Use the crease as a reference line, and fold the right side of the triangle as shown above. Make sure the right side goes beyond the reference line after folding.

Repeat the same with the left side. You will obtain the above shape upon completion of this step. 

Use a black marker to draw a pointy leaf on the pink paper. Follow the same steps as given above to fold the white paper, too, and draw the shape of a curved leaf on it. 

Use a scissor to cut the pink and white paper along the marked lines. Help the child if this step is too hard for them. Open the folds to reveal two beautiful flowers with 12 petals each.

Hold the pink flower and make small cuts along the creases of the leaves. Make sure you don’t cut it to the center of the flower. Halfway through is more than enough. 

Now, let’s assemble the multiplication flower. Apply a little glue in the center of the white flower and paste the pink flower on top of it. 

Use small pieces of white and green paper to draw a circle and two leaves. Cut them out and keep them handy. 

Paste the small white circle in the center of the flower and write the number whose times table you want to learn and practice. 

Mark the pink petals from 1 to 12 and the white petals with the product of the corresponding numbers and the main number. For example, we have written the products 6 and 8 on the white leaf for multiplication between 2 x 3 and 2 x 4. 

Next, turn over the flower and fix a green straw at the back using tape. Glue the green leaves we had prepared earlier to the straw to complete the multiplication craft.

So, here’s how the flowers turn out in the end. Don’t they look cute?

Have the kids prepare as many flowers as they would like. They can make flowers for the multiplication tables they find most difficult to remember and use them as a learning tool to memorize the products.

Games to play with our flower multiplication craft 

Multiplication games are a great way to reinforce multiplication facts and improve overall math skills. It helps improve children’s memory and mathematical proficiency. Let’s admit it. Memorizing those times tables when we were little often felt frustrating because it was a monotonous activity. Using enjoyable multiplication games can really dispel the monotony and motivate kids to practice multiplication willingly. Given below are two games kids can play using their multiplication craft. 

1. Multiplication quiz

This is a partner activity wherein two kids can quiz each other using their multiplication craft. 

• The first child refers to their flower and asks a multiplication fact to the second child. 
• The second child gives an answer, which the first one confirms after looking at the flower. 
• If the answer is correct, the second child gets a point.
• Now, the second child quizzes the first one in the same way. 
• The child who accumulates 15 points first is the winner!

2. Multiplication board game

Let kids choose a dice board game to improve their fluency in multiplication. Something like Snakes and Ladders or Monopoly Junior would be a good choice. 

• Ask them to keep their multiplication flowers by their sides. 
• Before a child rolls the dice, they must answer a multiplication fact asked by their opponent. The opponent can use their craft to decide which multiplication fact to ask and check the answer. 
• If the answer is correct, only then the child gets to roll the dice and proceed with the game. If not, they lose a turn and pass the dice to the other child. 
• The same sequence continues until one of the players wins the board game. 

That’s a wrap!

Kids learn best when they are performing hands-on activities. Introducing multiplication through crafts and creativity can keep kids engaged and motivate them to understand the concepts better. So, if you are a math teacher who plans to make learning more interesting for your students or a parent who wants to make at-home learning fun and engaging, our multiplication craft is there for the kids to try, learn, and enjoy!

Priyanka Sonkushre

I am Priyanka Sonkushre, a writer and blogger. I am the person behind “One Loving Mama,” a mom blog. Equipped with a Bachelor’s degree along with an MBA, my healthcare background helps me deeply understand learning difficulties. I know how challenging it can be for parents to find the right resources to help their children excel in life. So, here I am to blend my healthcare expertise with my parenting experience to create valuable and helpful resources for parents and teachers supporting children with learning differences. If you wish, you can follow me on Facebook and LinkedIn.

onelovingmama.com

The post DIY Easy Multiplication Craft appeared first on Number Dyslexia.

Mathematics is an important subject that is required in all walks of life. Simple Math like addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division can be taught to kids at a very young age through multiple activities. This makes the kid eager to learn, and the basic of mathematics also gets imbibed in them from their early childhood.

Multiplication magic

Generally, kids learn basic numbers first, and later, addition, subtraction, etc. The jump from addition and subtraction to multiplication and division can be daunting for kids. It is better for them that we lay the foundation pillar for multiplication at this age so that they get to understand the basics of the subject. While teaching multiplication, the teachers have to ensure that the kids understand multiplication is nothing but repeated addition. 

Some of the simple steps that Kindergarten teachers can follow to teach multiplications are as follows:

• You can teach the children that multiplication is actually repeated addition, that is, 2×6 means two groups of six, which is equivalent to 6+6.
• If there is any chance to teach the children through hands-on activities, grab the opportunity immediately.
• It would be best if you taught the student that one time of any number actually means the same number, like 1×2=2, 1×3=3, 1×10=10, etc. This also means the number is singular here.
• It would help if you made the students understand that any number multiplied by zero becomes zero. For instance, 0x1=0, 0x8=0, etc.
• You can use a 100 grid to show that skip counting ensures the same result as that of repeated addition.
• You can help the children to identify the multiples of the number. The great way to start with multiples is with 10.
• It is also essential to make the children understand that the order in which the numbers are placed does not change the result. Therefore, multiplication is commutative. For example, 1×2=2 is the same as 2×1=2.

Fun multiplication activities

Activities of multiplication are an ideal way to indulge your child in game-based studies. This will make the subject more interesting, and whatever the child will learn stays forever. Many pieces of research have shown that when different techniques of teaching are combined, it helps to heighten proficiency in the subject, in this case, multiplication. 

There are various activities that you can choose to use in your classroom for effective teaching of multiplication. Given below are some examples of multiplication activities.

1.   Pass the ball

This lesson is fun, interactive, and easy to play inside the classrooms. All you need is a beach ball and some enthusiastic learners.

Materials required

• Permanent marker/ stickers to write on
• An inflatable beach ball
• Music tape

Steps to play the activity:

• When the ball is inflated, write simple multiplication questions on each color segment.
• Now, take the students to the playground and make them stand in a big circle. You can do it within your class also with small groups of them
• Next, the teacher will play the music, and the children pass the ball to the one on their right till the music stops.
• When the music stops, the child with the inflated ball may choose any color on the ball and read the question on it.
• The entire class has to then tell the answer in unison.
• After this, the ball will be passed on with music being played and will carry on like this.
• Three or four groups like this can make the circle, and at a particular time, the group telling the highest number of answers wins.

The technique here is to relate the numbers with the color on the ball. And, as the rest of the children in class tell the result loudly, the child finds it easier to remember also. For example, color-coded grids can also be used. An example with the pie chart above. You can think of the pie as the ball.

2.  Multiply with the eggs

Using egg cartons and toy eggs can be a fun way to learn multiplication. The teacher needs to bring the egg cartons/ egg boxes from the house and toy eggs can be used in order to avoid the game becoming messy.

Materials required:

• Egg box/cartons
• Permanent marker/stickers
• Toy eggs
• Scissors

Steps to play the activities:

• First, you need to cut the lid from the egg carton/box
• Write some simple numbers to be multiplied like 3×2, 1×4, etc. in the depression of the egg box/carton
• On the toy eggs, write the answers like 6, 4, etc.
• The children need to place the toy egg with the correct answer on the depression of the egg box.
  

3.  Multiply with building blocks

Colorful building blocks can be used in multiplication activities in the classroom. The activity will be engaging and simple.

Materials required:

• Building blocks of different colors

Steps to play the activities:

• First of all, you need to separate blocks with 2, 3, 4, or more heads. Group these blocks separately.
• Now, give a multiplication problem to the child. For example, 2X4
• Instruct the child to pick 2 blocks having 4 heads each. Then ask them to count the total heads on both the blocks.
• Thus they will relate their answer “8” with the eight heads of the blocks.

This activity will give them a practical approach to solving multiplication problems. First, start by giving simple problems and once they get a strong hang of it, then try it with little bigger numbers.

4.   Multiply with audio-visual effects

Researchers have seen that we tend to remember the lyrics of songs easily as it is strung by music. Therefore combining studies with music helps the children remember more effectively. Through this activity, the children can be taught tables easily.

Materials required:

• Big LED screen
• Rhymes’ music only

Steps to play the activities:

• Then, music on any popular rhymes that the children can relate to should be started in the background.
• The child has to say the tables in the rhyme tune, like 1×1=1, and the display on the screen will also have one frog. Similarly, for 1×2=2, the children can sing the tune of rhyme in unison, and there will be two frogs on the screen.
• This audio and visual way of learning will be very effective, and the student can remember the tables very well in this way.
  

5.  Partners of Cards

This will be quite similar to using memory cards. To the concept of memory cards, you can add a bit more fun activity and make it more interesting.

Materials required:

• Small blank cards
• Colored Sketch pens

Steps for the activities:

• Prepare two stacks of an equal number of cards. One stack will have problems like 3×2, and 2×4 written on them (question cards), and another stack will have answers to those problems like 6, 8, etc (answer cards).
• In the class, divide the children into two groups of equal numbers. One group will be “Q”, and the other, “A”.
• Distribute the question cards among the Q group and the answers cards among the A group.
• Now ask each child to come out front and read out the question on their card. As they do so, ask what the answer to that will be.
• When you get the right answer, ask which child from the A group has that number on their card.
• So, these two children from Q and A will be partners.

How will these activities help the kindergarteners?

Learning something only from the book and practicing it on paper may not always impact the little minds in the same way as it would if they are actively involved in the process. When the kids participate in the games, it will make them remember the math problems in a more interesting way. The audio-visual activities will help them relate to the multiplication process easily. So, when they participate in the activities, and the teachers encourage them positively, they are sure to find it fun and exciting.

Wrapping up

Children love nothing more than playing. So, taking the opportunity of making them learn through play activities can yield positive results, no doubt. Teachers need to plan a learning session in a way that would help the child not only memorize but understand the concepts by heart also. This is where activities come in handy.

Children should not be bounded only to books to acquire knowledge. There are many things out there that can be used to gain simple knowledge. This will make studies interesting. The common games played by the children can also be used to learn multiplication. These interactive ways enlighten the kids from a young age and tinkle their nerve cells which help them in the future.

Manpreet Singh

An engineer, Maths expert, Online Tutor and animal rights activist. In more than 5+ years of my online teaching experience, I closely worked with many students struggling with dyscalculia and dyslexia. With the years passing, I learned that not much effort being put into the awareness of this learning disorder. Students with dyscalculia often misunderstood for having  just a simple math fear. This is still an underresearched and understudied subject. I am also the founder of Smartynote -‘The notepad app for dyslexia’, 

The post 5 Awesome Multiplication Activities For Curious Kindergarteners appeared first on Number Dyslexia.

Operations may be perceived to be the foundational building blocks of math. One among these, multiplication has a unique essence not only due to the area of its application but also due to the abilities it obligates the student to grasp it. This operation can be implemented for simple daily tasks or complex professional applications. 

While complexities in multiplication skills are occasional for some students, is it an area of concern for Dyscalculics? Why is multiplication more than just an operation? As we comprehend that definitive inference may be challenging to derive, the insights provided here can, however, assist you in learning better about how Dyscalculics can deal with multiplication. 

Multiplication- A cut above operation?

While there are four basic operations in math, Multiplication is one such distinct pick where the student may need to learn some additional traits. These problems can be addressed in two ways. Firstly, the young learners use the counting method in which a number is added multiple times to outstretch the answer. Secondly, the students may employ a retrieval process in which they can retain some previously learned regulations and facts to solve swiftly. 

The operations in later stages ultimately obligate retrieval of multiplication facts to ensure precise estimation. These facts may not be applicable in all cases; nonetheless, comprehending these can assist complex arithmetics later. For this reason, Multiplication is often more than just an operation. Here are a couple of pivotal facts:

• The product of two numbers always gives larger outputs, but when multiplied by zero, the answer is ‘0.’
• For every Multiplication fact, there are two division facts. For instance, 2*4=8, this also implies ‘8/2=4’ and ‘8/4=2.’

Complications in multiplication often arise owing to the missout of such certainties. John B. Cooney^[1] made a study on third and fifth-grade students to analyze their multiplication skills. It was noticed that as the pupils transitioned towards the fourth grade, they opted for retrieval strategies to solve problems- showing how retrieval strategies are crucial in higher grades. Finally, it was outlined that there are correlations between counting and retrieval strategies. Accordingly, retrieving multiplication facts can be taxing for some special students as well. 

Multiplication of numbers- Areas where dyscalculics need to advance? 

Being a step above operations like addition and subtraction, multiplication may be complex for some young learners. Special learners may identify multiple reasons behind this ineptitude. Here we look deep into some distinctive areas where they may feel hindered in accumulation: 

1. Transposed/Rotated numbers

One of the most common compromises with numbers is the transposition of numbers. Some students may study values appropriately but may face issues with presenting these values on paper later. For example, 9*5 is studied as 45, but they may mention it as 54 in the class test. 

In research by Mariela Alexandra Calderón Delgado^[2], a few eminent attributes that may show up in individuals with learning incapacity and calculus were mentioned. It was also outlined that the “rotate or transpose the numbers” was one of the eminent attributes. In operations like multiplication, transposed numbers may create errors in the final answer. 

2. Counting Numbers 

Reckoning numbers is the essence of math concepts, and multiplication obligates it.  Nonetheless, some individuals may hold off counting. Even if they had to, they might rely on finger counting. For these individuals, multiplication can be evidently an area to be boasted about.

Addressing various attributes of Dyscalculia, Roi Cuhan Kadosh^[3] in his research paper, mentioned an instance to demonstrate better. It is normal for six-year-old children to count with their fingers in order to solve arithmetic problems, but adopting the same strategy at ten years of age is a sign of age-inadequate arithmetic skills, probably signifying dyscalculia.  

3. Memorisation of Multiplication tables 

Probably the fundamental essential for addressing multiplication problems is ensuring to master multiplication tables. Some pupils who may feel it strenuous to infer numbers may feel it demanding to memorize these too. 

Tables need remarkable memory to retain values and also a great working memory to recall those back later. Mojtaba Soltanlou^[4] studied if there is a role of working memory in multiplication fact networks in children. The team did research on grade 3 and grade 4 students. They found that early learning may need visuospatial working memory, but ultimately, the individual needs verbal and non-verbal working memory contributions. These conclusions clearly depict that working memory- whether verbal or nonverbal is pivotal for drawing skills in an individual.

Looking deep into why dyscalculics may need to try hard memorizing, it can be observed that these individuals often have a delicate working memory. Vinod Menon^[5] conducted a study on working memory in children’s math learning. Outlining such memories is crucial for math; he also remarked that Dyscalculics could have a specific susceptibility in visuospatial working memory, which may lead to inferences that these individuals may encounter a few constraints with working memory while learning. 

Can dyscalculics address multiplications?

The previously mentioned postulates show that number compromises can affect multiplication skills, especially in areas of memorization and reckoning. Once these areas are clearly outlined, relevant strategies can be fabricated to ensure they can compete. Thereby, while some individuals may not solve multiplications with ease, they can manage by mastering these skills later. 

Dyscalculic mathematicians like  Emma King have made sure they inculcate various personalized plans of action to manage glitches. Aspirants can consider these as motivating sources. Further, the following strategies may hone their multiplication skills finer:

• Break the Problem into uncomplicated parts: Special pupils who have managed facile problems often may get anxious about comprehending complex ones. For that reason, splitting the challenge into easier parts can be a befitting strategy. Llaria Berteletti^[6] conducted research on children with mathematical learning incapacities and the reason why they may resist solving multiplication problems. The study made on students from third grade to seventh grade showed that dyscalculics have reduced activations in both verbal and numerical regions for complex problems. Fascinatingly, they had engaging verbal mechanisms for easier ones. These inferences precisely point out the need to break the problem to facilitate comprehension. 

• Employ Manipulatives to Ensure Concrete Foundation: Manipulatives are often assistive to grasp composite notions with the ease of tactile learning. Employing picks like Multiplication keys and abacus. Flashcards and spins can ameliorate the learning experience. 

• Multiplication games and activities: As a part of the enticing game, pupils may learn implicitly. In the case of multiplications, board games like Say Cheese, Monster Sock, and Pet Me can be eminent picks to learn and exercise. Not only for strategy, even for multiplication facts, but dice games can also be convenient.  In the classroom, converting pedagogies into interactive activities motivates the little ones to master concepts. 
• Personalized associates like times table sheets and Waldorf multiplication flowers can be encouraged till the learner has mastered these values. 

Concluding thoughts 

Math skills are a crucial part of life skills; multiplication can lie among the few crucial notions to be learned. That being the case, even though it may be arduous at inception, special aspirants need to try stronger to manage this. Successful people with a number of compromises may often be the source of motivation. Further, check out the areas of concern and probable working strategies to fabricate the best possible plan of action for you to compete. 

References

1. Cooney, J. B., Swanson, H. L., & Ladd, S. F. (1988). Acquisition of mental multiplication skill: Evidence for the transition between counting and retrieval strategies. Cognition and instruction, 5(4), 323-345.
2. Delgado, M. A. C., Delgado, R. I. Z., Palma, R. P., & Moya, M. E. (2019). Dyscalculia and pedagogical intervention. International Research Journal of Management, IT and Social Sciences, 6(5), 95-100.
3. Kadosh, R. C., & Walsh, V. (2007). Dyscalculia. Current Biology, 17(22), R946-R947.
4. Soltanlou, M., Pixner, S., & Nuerk, H. C. (2015). Contribution of working memory in multiplication fact network in children may shift from verbal to visuo-spatial: a longitudinal investigation. Frontiers in psychology, 6, 1062.
5. Menon, V. (2016). Working memory in children’s math learning and its disruption in dyscalculia. Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences, 10, 125-132.
6. Berteletti, I., Prado, J., & Booth, J. R. (2014). Children with mathematical learning disability fail in recruiting verbal and numerical brain regions when solving simple multiplication problems. Cortex, 57, 143-155.

Manpreet Singh

An engineer, Maths expert, Online Tutor and animal rights activist. In more than 5+ years of my online teaching experience, I closely worked with many students struggling with dyscalculia and dyslexia. With the years passing, I learned that not much effort being put into the awareness of this learning disorder. Students with dyscalculia often misunderstood for having  just a simple math fear. This is still an underresearched and understudied subject. I am also the founder of Smartynote -‘The notepad app for dyslexia’, 

The post Dyscalculia And Multiplication: How to manage? appeared first on Number Dyslexia.

All experienced educators suggest using fun and interactive methods to teach math. This helps improve the child’s ability to recall multiplication facts quickly and easily.

To meet the needs of both classroom students and homeschooling parents, we have created something special. Our printable multiplication flashcards PDFs are designed to make learning enjoyable.

These flashcards are not only educational, but they are also engaging. By using them, kids can practice multiplication in a way that feels like play.

We hope that these printable flashcards make learning multiplication easier. They will encourage kids to practice regularly and improve their memory retention.

What do our multiplication flashcards PDFs include?

Learning multiplication facts is an important activity to include in the multiplication learning process. Our printable multiplication PDF flashcards include multiplication facts involving digits 0-12.

The idea behind using flashcards is to give food to the brain systematically and regularly. Unlike books, the flashcards are shown to the child in a recurring fashion in a gap of a chosen timeframe. Hence, in our flashcards PDF printables for multiplication facts, you can find:

• A quick refresher for helping students memorize the multiplication tables and facts
• A suitable test master key for conducting oral assessments
• Easily downloadable learning material to give ample practice to kids

If the idea of using our multiplication printable flashcards 0-12 has grappled you with its sheer appeal, don’t look any further! Find here the complete set of multiplication flash cards printable 0-12 that you can easily download, save, print, and use the way you require.

Get more than 10,000 + Kids Worksheets, Activities Pages, Coloring Pages, Templates, Classroom Posters, and Other Educational Resources to visit our store .

How to use our Multiplication printable flashcards 0-12 PDFs?

To learn multiplication, you need not burn the midnight oil. It is practically impossible for a growing kid to show exemplary interest in memorizing multiplication tables and facts when done through conventional means.

The flashcards offer visually appealing learning materials that students find interesting and don’t mind using for practice. Some of the best uses of printable multiplication flashcard PDFs for 0-12 are:

• Reference and revision material: Unlike answer keys, flashcards don’t contain answers. Thus, users need to go down their memory lane and recollect answers to the fact provided in the flashcard. Teachers may use it as dual-purpose revision material. They can employ these as revision as well as quiz cards.
• Memory Booster: Flashcards’ main purpose is to boost concept recall. When the learners look at these cards and try to answer the question asked, they work up their memory to deliver a quick response. With constant practice and systematic introduction of flashcards, the teachers can establish the multiplication facts in almost an indelible manner in the kids’ learning department of the brain.
• Mental reasoning and associative memory build-up tool: Flashcards printable PDFs for multiplication facts 0-12 can act as an effective memory-strengthening tool. By introducing the flashcards time and again to the learners, teachers or parents can engage growing learners in mental reasoning development activities.
• IEP tool: In an IEP program for building math reasoning skills, these flashcards can act as effective enablers. Teachers may set measurable targets like ‘the student must be able to recall 5-10 multiplication facts by looking at the flashcards by a selected date.’
• As math-learning material: Learning becomes easier and fun when you supplement the books or worksheets with supports like printable multiplication flash cards PDFs, and similar materials. Our Printables for Multiplication Facts 0-12 collection is sure to help you overcome hesitation associated with maths. With regular use and implementation of flashcards, learning multiplication and mastering its facts may become joyful.

Click the button below to download the flashcards completely FREE!

Summing up

Build your repertoire of engaging learning materials like printable multiplication flashcards 0-12 by downloading and saving the formats displayed above.

You can use them anywhere, anytime, and also file their prints to create a revision resource. Do share your experience of using our printable flashcards PDFs and help us improve with your opinion!

Manpreet Singh

An engineer, Maths expert, Online Tutor and animal rights activist. In more than 5+ years of my online teaching experience, I closely worked with many students struggling with dyscalculia and dyslexia. With the years passing, I learned that not much effort being put into the awareness of this learning disorder. Students with dyscalculia often misunderstood for having  just a simple math fear. This is still an underresearched and understudied subject. I am also the founder of Smartynote -‘The notepad app for dyslexia’, 

The post Free Printable Multiplication 0-12 Flashcards with pdf appeared first on Number Dyslexia.

Though a basic requirement, not all students are comfortable with the idea of learning mathematical operations.

For them, the math anxiety is for real and may send shivers down their spines. A major part of anxiety attributes to Learning disabilities, that interfere with the learning curve of a child. That is why, collection of resources like flashcards, board games, and worksheets comes as a natural calling to everybody.

Keeping learning requirements of all levels in mind, I have designed some printable multiplication 1-12 worksheets PDFs. Besides these worksheets, there is a BONUS PDF for you all at the end. So, keep reading till the end all the while learning interesting insights and helping your students or children with hands-on learning practice in solving multiplication problems.

Types of multiplication worksheets printables

In this post, we bring you here three types of printable multiplication 1-12 worksheets PDFs. Here is a quick overview of these for your better understanding:

• Multiplication worksheets 1-12 level 1: Fill the correct number in the blanks provided using your knowledge of multiplication. This multiplication 1-12 printable worksheet covers multiplication tables from 2 to 11. The idea is to boost your retrieval capacity in terms of numbers’ tables you have learned or rote memorized. This worksheet can be solved while studying in groups or for a self-study schedule.
• Multiplication Worksheets printable 1-12 level 2: Connect the multiplicand, multiplier, and product to arrive upon the correct match. This activity defines our printable level 2 multiplication worksheet. It offers the best support for enhancing hand-eye coordination in addition to strengthening your multiplication skills.
• Multiplication Worksheets 1-12 Level 3 printable: In level 3, you are given a matrix with empty cells. The first row and first column are populated with numbers 1-12. You have to keep multiplying rows’ numbers with the ones given in the column to complete the table. Once finished, you can use the filled printable PDF as your ready reckoner for multiplication tables.

Benefits of solving our multiplication 1-12 printable worksheets

It is worth noticing that multiplication is a tool that is provided to make life easier and not difficult, as is normally perceived. Think of adding 4 about 15 times and you will realize what a time-saving activity multiplication is. Hence, the top advantages of solving 1-12 printable multiplication worksheets are:

• Worksheets can help you achieve quickness in multiplying numbers: Research reveals that multiplication operation is important to help children become fluent in this mathematical operation. Though there are tools like flashcards, etc. designed to help, the students are found to have a better grip over multiplication by solving multiplication tables based questions.
• Multiplication worksheets printables offer a quick practice tool: Solving multiplication tables-based questions and equations allows you to have a quick refresher in your mobile phone or in printables’ file. With the help of these printable worksheets for multiplication, students can have their dose of daily practice. Level 3 worksheet is a bit lengthy; so, the ease of saving this printable on your devices can help you continue the activity from the point left anywhere, anytime.
• Printable multiplication worksheets 1-12 provide a better mental activity: These printables are designed to enable the working up of the brain in a variety of ways. As an early and intermediate learner, you will find these worksheets to be quite effective in improving the powers of calculating mentally.
• Provide an excellent tool for learning multiplication facts: Printable worksheet PDFs shared in this post display numerous multiplication facts. As an avid learner, you can brush up on your facts knowledge. Additionally, you can improve mental math too.

Best uses of printable multiplication worksheet PDFs

We have designed our printable multiplication worksheets keeping your learning needs in mind. The best uses of our printables for learning multiplication operations are:

• As a practice material: Students can download and save, or print and file these worksheets in their collection of learning materials. These worksheets can be used for formative assessment preparations. Middle school students can also brush up on their multiplication tables by solving these printable worksheets.
• Quiz Master: Teachers can employ printable worksheets 1-12 on multiplication as quiz material and conduct quizzes to help students learn this mathematical operation in a fun way.
• Homeschooling support: With the help of printable worksheets, home-schoolers can master multiplication by having ample practice. Guardians can prepare their wards by throwing random questions on multiplication facts by picking a clue from this worksheet bundle.

BONUS: Printable Multiplication Workbook PDF

As the kids are now familiarized with the concept of multiplication and how it works, let’s provide them with more worksheets to learn and practice. As a bonus, we’ve got you a complete multiplication workbook with 100 worksheets. Each worksheet features 25 multiplication problems which means learners have 2,500 problems to practice and master. It also comes with answer key sheets at last, so you can save your time evaluating kids as they can themself do the same.

We designed the workbook with simplicity in mind, using a straightforward black-and-white theme to minimize distractions. This clean design helps learners focus entirely on the problems, making it easier to concentrate and learn effectively.

This workbook suits young students just starting out with multiplication, as well as older learners who need extra practice. The problems are beginner-friendly and build a solid foundation in multiplication. So, hit the ‘download’ button below and get started with your interactive and effective learning sessions.

Summing up

Ditch the math or multiplication anxiety and own this basic mathematical operation by practicing multiplication worksheets 1-12 printables. It is a perfect base for building math skills and can be of great help in sharpening calculation abilities. By regular practice, you are sure to observe a positive change in your performance. So, set yourself a few measurable goals and let us know how these worksheets helped you attain those with confidence and clarity.

Manpreet Singh

An engineer, Maths expert, Online Tutor and animal rights activist. In more than 5+ years of my online teaching experience, I closely worked with many students struggling with dyscalculia and dyslexia. With the years passing, I learned that not much effort being put into the awareness of this learning disorder. Students with dyscalculia often misunderstood for having  just a simple math fear. This is still an underresearched and understudied subject. I am also the founder of Smartynote -‘The notepad app for dyslexia’, 

The post Free Printable Multiplication 1-12 Worksheets [PDF] appeared first on Number Dyslexia.

Besides Dyscalculics, beginners of numeric operations can also get strategy-driven^[1] learning when they perform activities using manipulatives. A dice is believed to be one of the oldest manipulatives; it is useful as a multi-utility tool that helps teach concepts like multiplication facts.

Before I move to the dice games list, let me acquaint you with a few basics about multiplication facts.

What is a multiplication fact?

When you write a x b = c, the answer ‘c’ is a multiplication fact. Thus, the answer you receive on multiplying two numbers is a multiplication fact.

What are the various components of a multiplication operation?

Consider this example, ‘a x b = c’, or 4 x 2 = 8. Here,

a = multiplicand

b= multiplier

c = multiplication fact or product or answer of the multiplication operation.

These are the basic components of a multiplication operation.

Why are dice forms suitable manipulatives for teaching multiplication facts?

Dice is a cube with numbers 1 to 6. One can take a plain cube with blank sides and write other numbers on that too. Since you need numbers to multiply to arrive at the multiplication fact, dice offer a suitable solution for having a multiplier and multiplicand.

Also, rules for calculating multiplication facts are easy to form and follow on a dice. For example, it is easy to say that a number received on rolling the first dice will be multiplicand, and that got from the second one will be a multiplier (just an example).

Further, dice help build number sense. By way of subitizing, learners can find what numbers represent and then perform other numeric operations.

Most importantly, the students fight away the discomfort with numbers to improve their calculating abilities by starting with smaller values (1 to 6). They can design dice by drawing dots on the sides according to a chosen rule, say, find twos ( 2×2.., 3×2.. 4×2..), find threes (2×3..3×3..), and so on.

If you are still wondering what games can be played using dice to teach multiplication facts, I provide you here a perfect answer right away. Please look at these dice games that we have curated to show you what exactly teaching multiplication facts using this manipulative looks like in action.

Dice games that can help practice multiplication facts

1. Find Doubles

It is a single-dice game. You take a sheet and make two columns. The first column is for the number you get on rolling the dice. The second column can be named Double, or ‘x2.’ Now, start rolling the dice and keep writing numbers you get one below the other. Your sheet will look something like this:

(Please make a table like this, It is just an idea)

You can make two such tables and give one of these to your partner. You can now set the timer to a chosen duration, say, two minutes, and try to finish the table faster than your competitor. Thus, this game can help you find multiplication facts and have a suspense element added to the process by rolling the dice.

2. Roll it together!

Every dice, when rolled, shows a number at the top side. So, you can have two dice and roll them together. For example, dice 1 shows 2, and dice 2 shows 4. You can create an activity sheet for your student by engaging them in rolling the dice and writing expressions like this:

Dice 1 – 3

Dice 2 – 5

Find – 3 x 5

Multiplication fact =

That is how you can create a table with these columns and ask the student to find multiplication facts. To bring more creativity, you can replace the numbers with dots to let early learners apply number sense or subitizing skills to find the product or fact.

3. Multiply to win it!

It is a game where rewards await the competitors right in front of them. All they need is to calculate correctly and acquire those rewards. It starts with the rolling of two dice together by two opponents one by one. A heap of rewards like candies or fake coins is kept in the middle of the table. Important steps of this game are:

• Players roll their dice together.
• They speak out their numbers, multiply them, and tell the answers.
• Each of them collects the coins or goodies equal to the answer.
• One who has more rewards on his/her side wins.

This dice game helps practice number identification, speeds up the mental multiplication fact-finding, and gives counting practice too!

4. Create your multiplication board game

You can take a rectangular board and draw slots on it. A few slots can have rewards, others some punishments, and rules to multiply like ‘Find twos,’ ‘Find Fours,’ ‘Divide it by 5’, and so on. Players will roll two dice together, and instead of adding the numbers, they multiply them and move their chip that many slots.

So, right from the point of rolling dice and throughout the gameplay, the player gets lots of opportunities to practice multiplication facts. They can also recall strategies learned from number bonds charts to do more operations with numbers received on rolling the dice.

5. Double it and Add!

I have named this game ‘Double it and Add’ to give a clear idea of what to expect. It can be played with one as well as two dice. When played with one dice, the player asks the opponent to keep counting 1,2,3,4…. and so on in mind. When he says, ‘Stop,’ the other person speaks out the number where he stopped the mental counting. Now, the first player rolls the dice and gets a number.

His task is to double the number he received on dice and add the number given by the opponent. The process can be repeated for the opponent. The catch here is that the whole process of multiplying and adding is time-pressed. The one who calculates taking less time is the winner. A stopwatch is used to record the time taken by the teacher/parent.

When played with both dice, the players can multiply the numbers received on rolling. Then, they have to double the multiplication fact and add the fact with the numbers received. For example, suppose one dice shows 2 and the other 4. The student will multiply 2×4 mentally and then double the answer, which is 8. The next step is to add 2 and 4 to 8. It is designed this way to give a mental workout and increase the thinking flexibility of students.

6. Roll to 500!

Roll dice and keep multiplying the numbers received. For example, suppose the numbers received are 2 and 6. The student multiplies these and gets 12. He again rolls and this time gets 3 and 3. So, the next step will be 12 x 3 x 3. The rolling and multiplying continue till the multiplication fact totals 500 or a number near it. The teacher keeps a count of the steps in which the student reaches 500. Thus, this dice game allows learning not only just one but numerous multiplication facts in one round of play.

This game can be played in a group too. The first person rolls the dice, multiplies the number, and passes it on to the next player. The next player rolls the dice, then multiplies his numbers, and finally, multiplies the product with the previous player’s answer. The gameplay can be shortened by choosing a smaller number as a target.

7. Roll and find product!

Make a grid 10×10 and write numbers on it from 1 to 100. Roll the dice and see where it lands. If it lands on a line, the rule can be set as ‘choose the number on the left of the line.’ The student speaks the number received on the dice and multiplies it with the number where the dice has landed.

The reward for an activity can be decided in two ways. The teacher gives a point if the product is correct and continues doing so for the chosen number of rounds. The student who receives a higher score wins.

The other gameplay can be – write Start on number 1 and Home on 100; two students are given one color-coded chip each. Students roll dice, multiply the numbers received, and move the number of slots equal to the product. One who reaches the Home sooner is the winner.

Wrapping up,

Engagement^[2] is one of the prime reasons why dice games are chosen to teach multiplication facts. Since there is uncertainty about what number dice will give, it keeps the child’s mind prepared to calculate without prior support. Besides engagement, the dice can offer perfect settings for encouraging students to multiply correctly and fluently.

Also, it offers a breezy break from the rote memorization method, which can be mentally tiring sometimes. Teachers can employ dice and carry out a quick number talk during the gameplay to help students understand the strategy.

References

1. Furner, Joseph M. and Worrell, Nancy L. (2017) “The Importance of Using Manipulatives in Teaching Math
   Today,” Transformations: Vol. 3 : Iss. 1 , Article 2. Available at: https://nsuworks.nova.edu/transformations/vol3/iss1/2
2. Howard-Jones, Paul & Demetriou, Skevi. (2008). Uncertainty and engagement with learning games. Instructional Science. 37. 519-536. 10.1007/s11251-008-9073-6.

Manpreet Singh

An engineer, Maths expert, Online Tutor and animal rights activist. In more than 5+ years of my online teaching experience, I closely worked with many students struggling with dyscalculia and dyslexia. With the years passing, I learned that not much effort being put into the awareness of this learning disorder. Students with dyscalculia often misunderstood for having  just a simple math fear. This is still an underresearched and understudied subject. I am also the founder of Smartynote -‘The notepad app for dyslexia’, 

The post Dice Games To Teach Multiplication Facts appeared first on Number Dyslexia.

Multiplication is a skill expected to be well-developed in a student from grade 3 onwards. This arithmetic operation speeds up counting the objects by grouping them instead of counting them individually. Though meant to simplify things, the operation ends up giving sleepless nights when children are not fluent in number sense or are diagnosed with dyscalculia. However, using teaching tools like board games for multiplication can help ease learning difficulties.

A study on multiplication beginners reveals that there is a need to change the teaching pattern from encouraging rote memorization to familiarizing the students with the deeper meaning of these operations. According to this study, the researchers call the students to be proficient in multiplication when they exhibit fluency and flexibility with this operation. Further, if they are able to make practical sense of a simple equation like ‘3×4=12’, it can make them more confident.

Role of board games in teaching multiplication strategies

Building the elements of proficiency in multiplication depends primarily on encouraging students to know and internalize the strategies to solve multiplication problems. Interestingly, strategy build-up becomes possible to achieve when the classrooms are providing conditions for collaborative thinking. This kind of thinking is promoted well by board games.

Asking children about strategies to solve multiplication problems and assessing ways to reach a conclusion through number talk sessions are ways of helping a child attain strategic competency. While playing board games, these discussions become easier to start.

In addition to these, playing board games has also proved effective in meeting computational fluency-building objectives.

Let’s pick board games for multiplication in this article to find how these are helping in making children’s multiplication fluent.

Advantages of using board games for multiplication

Board games are used in a routine manner as a part of dyscalculia activities too, to help children learn multiplication operations. Their importance has also been revealed in a study at Campbell University ^[1], that tells that board games are practical teaching tools effective in developing strategy formation ability and boosting practical learning.

So, once you have understood the importance of board games in learning multiplication, you might want to know about the options available and their role in multiplication skill-building.

We have curated for you here some classic and innovative board games for multiplication that can help students become fluent in doing this math operation.

Best board games for multiplication

1. SAY Cheese – Math Board Game to Master Multiplication Tables

Solve the multiplication questions to win goodies! This multiplication board game gives suitable learning assistance to kids who want to learn various strategies for solving multiplication tables based problems.

The players can practice as much as they want and will not feel bored while trying to score better than the competitors. The game is designed to enable applying math facts, patterns knowledge, and addition skills to reach the answers and grab the goodies.

The best advantages of playing this board game for multiplication are:

• Children become confident multiplication operators
• They become fluent in applying concepts
• They grasp the practical meaning of doing a multiplication problem
• They move from memorizing to strategizing which strengthens their understanding

2. Multiplication game – Monster Sock Factor

Help the monster send the consignment of socks of different numbers using multiplication skills. This board game for multiplication enables easy grasping of multiplication concepts and turns the study hour into an enjoyable fun learning hour.

By doing simple calculations, and using various strategies, they boost their mental math skills. Parents can also intervene and encourage kids to tell about the strategy they used to reach the answer.

The game is designed to offer the practice of adding numbers to find the answer to multiplication problems, thus, the kids are able to understand and see for themselves what simple equations like 3×4=12, or 5×4=20 (hypothetical examples), look like in real. So, the kids get practice, learn strategy, know about alternative methods, and attain fluency eventually in the multiplication process.

3. PET ME for Multiplication and Division math board game

Distribute foods to the pets and own them while you move through the course of the game! This board game for multiplication trains the players in finding the similarity between the results of, say 5 x 5 = 25 and 25/5 = 5. Also, by following instructions like giving 5 food items each to five pets, the players can understand how 5+5+5+5+5 equals 5×5. This means, using addition and division as alternative strategies for solving multiplication helps children to move from simply memorizing to applying the concept.

This board game has all that it takes to avoid the math scare in children. The players get to group the items, divide the items, and reduce the number of items to understand what mathematical signs like multiplication and division really imply. With a playful environment and collaboration of ideas, they can get a break from decoding the problems conventionally, and build concepts more sustainably in the process, in a manner they can easily relate with.

4. Proof! Math Game 

Playing with numbers and building strategies to establish a relationship between them through signs allow the players to learn the application of mathematical operations of all kinds including multiplication. The players are given a set of cards carrying numbers in this game. They need to arrange the numbers to make a mathematical equation and shout the answer. The focus is on using as many cards as possible to create an equation.

This board game for multiplication and other operations can make children confident in using operational symbols, strategizing arriving at solutions, and learning the application part. The reward of winning more cards enables them to work out their brains and use numbers in various relationships. Apart from multiplication, children can learn division, subtraction, and even square roots!

5. Learning Resources tri-FACTa Multiplication & Division Game

Do signs of addition, multiplication, and division confuse you? This game is designed to dissolve away that confusion. The players can actually learn how relationships among numbers change with the change of sign. They can understand the number patterns, and build literacy of arithmetic signs using this board game for multiplication. Apart from understanding the implied functions of the signs, children can be fluent in choosing the numbers to put next in a series or pattern.

Multiplication series solving allows the development of an understanding of sequences and patterns. The game allows adopting a progressive way of acquiring multiplication skills as the challenges start with the easiest and become tougher to enable stimulation of the mind as per the competence level achieved.

Regular practice brings fluency in operations and flexibility in choosing strategies, allowing the students to work up their brains and gain more agility in understanding number relationships and solving multiplication equations.

6. Multiplication Bingo

8 Ways of playing this board game for Multiplication offers the teachers a fun-filled way of enticing students into practicing the operations like multiplication and division. Players are led by a facilitator who reads out an equation. They calculate the answer in mind and then find the corresponding number on the card given to them and cover it with a chip provided. The players have to make 8 kinds of patterns as per the rule decided to win the game.

This board game for multiplication allows players to understand and apply inverse relationships with division and multiplication operations. Also, number matching, eye-hand coordination, understanding patterns, and knowledge of math fact families are some of the added advantages that children can enjoy by practicing multiplication in this game. With ample practice and regular use, children can become confident in moving on to more complex challenges.

7. Orchard Toys – Times Tables Heroes

Here is a fun and exciting game that comprises two games in one to build multiplication skills in young learners. It is a perfect board game for kids aged 6 – 9 who get to playfully practice times tables starting from 2 and all the way up to 12. The two games comprising this educational tool are the Hero City board game and Multiplication Bingo. You get a set of two spinners, which determine the difficulty level of the game. So, kids can use the one that’s appropriate to their level of competency in multiplication. 

The game includes quirky superhero characters and shield cards to encourage imaginative play in young minds. There’s also a multiplication checker to help kids check their answers while they are playing the board game. And what’s more? The checker is handy enough for kids to carry it along and use it regularly to learn times tables. All in all, Times Tables Heroes is an interesting game to bring back enthusiasm for practicing multiplication tables. Kids will surely love the challenge and enjoy the process of mastering times tables without getting bored. 

Common outcomes of using board games for multiplication

Board games are expected to deliver different results when these are played in different environments, such as in class with teachers, at home with parents, or at parties with friends. The magnitude of an outcome may be different, but nature may be the same and is most likely to comprise:

a. multiplication concept reinforcement

b. ease of tackling problems of varying complexities

c. boosting decision-making abilities

d. increase in comfort, confidence, and agility with multiplication operations

Speed, accuracy, comfort, and confidence – with these virtues earned by playing, the math scare is quite likely to disappear from the mindset. The board games, therefore, work as a complete teaching solution when the teachers want to impart learning but without the kids realizing the drill.

In Conclusion

Multiplication is one of the fundamental mathematical operations that holds immense significance in our daily lives. You can find several instances when you’re applying this operation on a day-to-day basis to arrive at solutions mentally. It also lays the foundation for advanced arithmetic operations, which students learn in their higher grades. Therefore, attaining fluency in multiplication is a must for everyone. 

There’s no denying that conventional methods of learning multiplication work for students, but sometimes it is better to switch to unconventional methods of learning too. Multiplication activities, flashcards, and manipulatives are some unique tools to teach kids. And board games too, are a great way to strengthen multiplication skills in a fun and engaging way that students will love and request more of!

References:

1. Extracted from the abstract of a journal article, ‘Getting Children on Board using Board Games to Support the Curriculum’, Campbell University

Manpreet Singh

An engineer, Maths expert, Online Tutor and animal rights activist. In more than 5+ years of my online teaching experience, I closely worked with many students struggling with dyscalculia and dyslexia. With the years passing, I learned that not much effort being put into the awareness of this learning disorder. Students with dyscalculia often misunderstood for having  just a simple math fear. This is still an underresearched and understudied subject. I am also the founder of Smartynote -‘The notepad app for dyslexia’, 

The post 7 Board Games to improve fluency in Multiplication appeared first on Number Dyslexia.

To impart learning of the corresponding value of numbers, helping to find relationships between them, understanding number patterns, and moving on to teaching operations like addition, multiplication, subtraction, or division are some of the objectives of teaching number sense to children.

Those with learning difficulties need particular strategies to absorb and apply the concept of number sense in doing these operations. In this article, let’s focus on how to use number sense to learn about multiplication strategies.

Strategies to use number sense in enhancing multiplication skills

It is a common practice to use rote memorization and apply standard algorithms to solve a mathematical problem. This means children are asked to mug up multiplication tables – 3×1 =1, 3×2=6, and so on. However, this approach may prove not-so-friendly for a child whose brain is not wired to read and retain the multiplication concept this way. Therefore, to develop early number sense and comfort with multiplication, as a teacher, you need to consciously employ three strategies^[1], which are:

1. Encouraging kids to find math in daily life situations and surroundings

In preschool days, you introduce tools like board games, manipulatives, or charts to tell the kids about numbers. Remember telling them about numbers using balls and tiles? This is nothing but teaching number sense to kids.

Moving further, you can now group these things to give an introduction to multiplication. You can make a group of balls in sets of threes and tell them about various ways to reach the answer to a multiplication problem, say 3 x 5.

2. Driving them to focus on the process rather than to jump on results

Let’s try to understand by using the examples of balls mentioned above. When you are making groups of balls in sets of three, you are actually telling the kids what 3 x 5 looks like in reality, and how they will get 15. This is what focusing on process means. Instead of using rote learning, you are telling the process. This is sure to stay with them for a long time.

3. Giving them math practice to find the proficiency level in applying strategies

Building number sense is incomplete without actually checking a student’s comfort level with it. Thus, you can make use of number sense charts and worksheets to give practice. Also available are a few number sense games that you can play with kids to test their strategy-making ability.

Activities to apply number sense strategies to teach multiplication

After having learned the strategies and their role in familiarizing students with multiplication, let’s take a look at some activities that you can do to carry further the teaching task.

1. Multiplication of the day

In a typical number sense class, Number of the Day is a common activity. This activity can be modified to Multiplication of the Day. This activity uses strategy no 2 – driving them to understand the process. For example, let’s say the multiplication of the day is = 5 x 6.

The students can make columns like Dodging Numbers, Adding, and Dividing as operations to reach the solution of 5×6. Thus, these are some of the processes they get to know to solve a simple one-digit multiplication. This activity is a better option than memorizing the table of 6 or 5.

2. Using think boards

In the think board activity, the teacher chooses a multiplication problem and makes it the center of the think board. This central part is surrounded by four zones. These zones depict strategies to solve the multiplication problem and various problems that can be conceived using the central multiplication problem.

For example, the teachers can name the zones as – Product of a x b, Addition of a ‘b’ times, Examples of a x b (they can even write word problems in examples), A common example of a x b from the surrounding. Thus, the teachers can employ strategy no 1 of taking references from surroundings to build number sense to groom the students into multiplication experts.

3. Multiplication Circles

The circle depicted below can be modified to give practice. The outermost border’s cells can be left blank. Children solve this circle by writing answers in the blank cells. This activity uses strategy no 3 – giving practice and testing the knowledge about the number sense achieved. Using number talks, teachers can also try to make students think, collaborate, and share their strategies

4. Fact Families

It is an interesting way to teach students about various multiplication properties. Children learn about ways to arrive at the solution. As a beginner in multiplication and division, the students can use this activity to learn how to create different equations using multiplication and division signs.

This activity uses number sense strategies no 2 and 3 (learn the process and practice learned concepts) mentioned above to give a fair introduction to the concept of multiplication to early learners.

To conclude,

Math skills are no less than life skills. Multiplication is a simple operation that everyone uses to speed up the addition of items, to find the area of any surface, or to find the amount of paint required to color that wall. Number sense and activities based on its teaching strategies boost fluency with numbers and turn an anxious learner into a confident one. So, employ them to make learning easier for the multiplication beginner.

References

1. Yang, Der-Ching. (2005). Number sense strategies used by 6th‐grade students in Taiwan. Educational Studies. 31. 317-333. 10.1080/03055690500236845.

Manpreet Singh

An engineer, Maths expert, Online Tutor and animal rights activist. In more than 5+ years of my online teaching experience, I closely worked with many students struggling with dyscalculia and dyslexia. With the years passing, I learned that not much effort being put into the awareness of this learning disorder. Students with dyscalculia often misunderstood for having  just a simple math fear. This is still an underresearched and understudied subject. I am also the founder of Smartynote -‘The notepad app for dyslexia’, 

The post Number Sense Strategies & Activities for Multiplication Beginners appeared first on Number Dyslexia.

Multiplication is one topic that the more versed you get with, the faster your calculations skills will become. Whether you are in school, college, or university, multiplication skills are needed almost everywhere, even in real-life applications. Students opting for competitive exams exactly know what we are talking about. So, it becomes quite important that kids are imbibed with good multiplication skills right from the beginning.

Math manipulative is one such product extremely useful in this aspect. Activity with multiplication manipulatives is a great way to put strong impressions of fundamentals to the students, especially kids in pre and elementary school.

Manipulatives give students a tangible asset to connect to for developing the basics of the concept. Be it gummy bears counters, calendar chart, or ubiflix cubes, they all helped us concretize the concepts of mathematical operations right from kindergarten.

Keeping this in mind, We curated a list of the top 5 math manipulatives to excel in multiplication right from the beginning. Do note that some of these manipulatives may or may not be directly made for this purpose but we highlighted some activities that can be performed in the classroom in this aspect.

1. Multiplication Bingo

One of the most popular party games, bingo, has long been used as a manipulative for sight words, vocabulary, and learning facts. With the same inspiration, Multiplication Bingo is here to improve your multiplication facts. The gameplay is similar to the classic bingo but instead of words, the host asks a multiplication question, and players have to mark the answer correctly.

Each set contains 36 playing cards, over 700 chips, a caller’s mat and cards, and a sturdy storage box. Also provided is the Traditional 5 x 5 grid format that can be played in 8 ways enough to meet the needs of learners of all abilities. Perfect for small or large group play in classrooms, homes, adult education, and at celebrations too.

2. Multiplication Keys

If you are looking for one manipulative that kids will literally beg you to buy, no doubt it is multiplication keys. It is a fun, interactive, and really unique way of learning multiplication. It is not wrong to say that this is an all-rounder package for developing a range of skills rather than just multiplication.

To play it, students have to wrap the string from the problem on the left to the answer on the right, & then turn the Wrap-ups over to see if they got it right. A set contains 10 self-correcting keys that total up to 120 multiplication facts ranging from 1×1 to 10×12.

This multiplication manipulative is quite popular as well with fairly positive reviews. Some parents say that their kids are hooked to playing it for hours and prefer it over TV. Another user says that it takes the memorization of the multiplication table to the next level.

3. Abacus

There is a reason Abacus is a favorite practicing tool for Olympiad participants around the world. Abacus is more than just a fast way of calculating numbers, it gives an efficient way of performing any mathematical operation, such as multiplication, with any size numbers.

Students get more comfortable doing advanced mathematical challenges as they practice the abacus in routine. Starting from basic-level abacus formula operations, students can climb their way to lengthy calculations. For high school students, consistent practice with the abacus gives them an edge over their competition during numerical exams. There are different types of abacus to learn about with different applications.

4. Flash Cards

Flashcards are simple and versatile tool for teaching little learners and are widely used for different classroom learning activities, especially in preschool. These can be modified into multiplication flashcards to be used as manipulatives. You can either design them yourself, print a readily available online pdf,  or purchase a goal-specific variation.

A good start is to design on your own by cutting chart paper in a shape of your choice or buy a Make your own flash card. Draw the template on the cards with a sketch or pencil.

If you decide to purchase one, then Multiplication flashcards by Think Tank Scholar will fit best your requirement. These cards are specifically designed to improve math fact fluency of  3, 4, 5 & 6-grade students.

A full set consists of 335 flashcards, including all 0-12 math facts, with multiplication tables from 0x0 to 12×12. Don’t worry if you are still unaware of how to use these, Think Tank Scholar got you covered. The pack already contains suggestions and methods for getting the maximum benefit out of it. This manipulative has received several positive reviews on Amazon with one user saying it was the only flashcard set that had all the possible math combinations.

5. Multiplication Spin

EZ multiplication spin is a unique variation of flashcard manipulative for practicing multiplication. Students have to turn the wheel to see on which number it lands. Then, they have to find the solution to the multiplication problem that comes up and lift the flap to check if it’s true.

The wheel includes +0 to +12, strategies like doubles, and several mixed practice sets. Keep the score to see how many you got right within 10 trials. Practicing daily on the wheel will help memorize multiplication facts better and ready on tips. There are alot of designs to choose from and the manipulative is made of durable material that will stay for a long time.

In Conclusion

Manipulatives are undoubtedly one of the most effective tools for teaching the concepts of multiplication. Using these tools, teachers can offer students a hands-on experience of how multiplication can be carried out using different strategies.

You may find ample tools to assist students in learning math, but it is important to pick the ones that meet your instructional goal, are easy to use, and match your students’ needs. Remember, only the right selection of manipulatives can support student learning.

Manpreet Singh

An engineer, Maths expert, Online Tutor and animal rights activist. In more than 5+ years of my online teaching experience, I closely worked with many students struggling with dyscalculia and dyslexia. With the years passing, I learned that not much effort being put into the awareness of this learning disorder. Students with dyscalculia often misunderstood for having  just a simple math fear. This is still an underresearched and understudied subject. I am also the founder of Smartynote -‘The notepad app for dyslexia’, 

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