Learning Your Facts!

Now that state testing has ended, I am trying to focus a lot on reinforcing basic mutliplication facts since it's so important to know them for skills in the next grade level and beyond. I was looking through the "Really Good Stuff" catalog and came across some multiplication tricks on posters and I thought I would share what I learned!

Multiplying 2's - Double the number (Duh...)

Multiplying 3's - I learned to put the multiples of 3 to the tune of Jingle Bells (3,6,9-12,15-18,21-24-27-30,33 Hey! I also discovered that children can use their hands to help them find a product of a 3 times table. Explain to students that each of their fingers are divided into three parts. If they are multiplying 3 x 2, then they count all the parts on two fingers.

Multiplying 4's - Double the number you are multiplying by two times. There is also this chant to teach them to remember 4's.

Multiplication has just begun
Four times facts are so much fun
4 X 1 = 4 Will you please go shut the door!
4 X 2 = 8 Let’s go eat some chocolate cake!
4 X 3 = 12 Put the books up on the shelf.
4 X 4 = 16 My you are so very keen!
4 X 5 = 20 I like to eat bread with honey.
4 X 6 = 24 Boogie down on the dance floor!
4 X 7 = 28 There is no food on my plate
4 X 8 = 32 There’s a stinky shoe, P- U
4 X 9 = 36 Here’s something that we can fix!
4 X 10 = 40 Explorers were looking for gold and glory
4 X 11 = 44 We want to hear the lion’s roar!
4 X 12 = 48 You know I can barely wait!
You will be- so surprised
How fast you learn to mem-or-ize

Multiplying by 5's - They all end in a 5 or 0.

Mutliplying 6's - When you multiply an even number by six, the number you are multiplying by will be in the ones and the tens place will be half of that. For example, 6 x 4    4 will be in the ones and tens number will be 2 so the answer is 24.

Multiplying 7's - There isn't really a trick for this one, but I heard that 7x6=42 is the hardest math fact to remember. Make a big glittery sign out of it so they don't forget it.

Multiplying 8's - I recommend making up poems or rhymes to remember the 8's. 8x8=64, Close your mouth and shut the door! 5,6,7,8!  56=7x8!

Multiplying 9's - The hand trick is the fastest and easiest way to remember do the 9's. Put your hands flat on the table in front of you. Your fingers represent the numbers 1-10. Bend the finger of the number you are multiplying by down. Then number of fingers to the left of the bent finger is your tens digit. Then number of fingers to the right of the bent finger is your ones digit.

Multiplying 10's - Take the number you are multiplying by and add a 0.

Multiplying 11's - Take the number you are multiplying by and double the digits. 11 x 4 = 44

Multiplying 12's - Take the number you are multiplying 12 by and multiply that by 10. Then multiply the tens digit in that number by 2 and add them together to get your answer. 12 x 4  (4x10=40) (4x2=8)  40+8=48

I also strongly recommend making pictures or stories to go along with the tough ones to help them remember. 

What ideas or tricks do you guys use??