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OK, I memorized these in school, but so many years later have forgotten
some of them.
IMO, there is no use in forcing anyone to memorize the times tables.
Once a person understands arithmetic, there are many ways to figure out
the answer to a problem. Also, learning the times tables and spouting
answers to multiplication problems are two different things.
But, if your daughter WANTS to learn them, here are some ideas:
Practice counting by each number, by 2's, then by 3's, etc. You can use
"counters" if she wants and group them by the number - 10 groups of six
beans or coins - In the beginning, she can count each one, saying the
sixth one loud. 1,2,3,4,5,SIX, 7,8,9,10,11,TWELVE, etc. If she repeats
this enough, she'll finally be able to say just the sixth number each
time. I got this idea from a Dorling Kindersley book "Times Tables".
They do it with pictures, for the 4's there is an animal with 4 legs so
they count the legs.
Put it to music or chanting or a rap beat and say them with her over and
over. Or record it on a cassette that she can listen to repeatedly.
John Holt suggested making a blank times table and let the child figure
out the answers and fill it in. (If the child wants to)
Mary Ellen
If you want to do everything yourself,
insist on being the only one who can do it right.


>>>>yesterday she burst into tears and said, "Enough of the understanding
math... I just want
to know all my multiplication tables.
Pensive Brooke


This sounds like fun, but is reinforcing what they have memorized, not
teaching it.

>>A couple of things we did to make learning the math tables fun was
Giant
Step Relay and Throw Daddy in the Pool Math.
Then each
of us ask our team mate a multiplication question. When they answer
correctly, they take a giant step forward and ask the other person a
multiplication question. >>

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