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www.homeschoolblogawards.com

Right now is the nomination stage. Voting starts some time in April.

"The HSBAwards Team have made some adjustments to categories, added NEW categories we didn’t have in 2005, are offering some awesome prizes for the winners, and we are settling into our new site to house the fun!"

Do you need drill to learn multiplication facts?

Continuing on the same lines as my previous post, what about multiplication facts and drill?

Well, the principle is similar: show them first the concept and patterns.

Then can come some plain drill.

But, I want to share with you a few more detailed points.

1. The main "patterns" in various multiplication tables of course follow from the concept of multiplication. For example, table of 2 is counting by 2's. You get table of 4 by doubling the answers in table of 2. You get table of 8 by doubling the answers in table of 4.
   
   Table of 10 is counting by 10s. Table of 5 - just take half of what the 10 ×
   
   Here are some resources to give you ideas about these kind of patterns and little "tricks".
   
   * Michele's Math
   * Times Tables' factsheets
   
   


2. We ALSO need them to know the tables "backwards".
   
   Let me explain.
   
   It's not enough to know that 8 × 7 is 56, when someone asks what is 8 × 7. The students ALSO need to know that 56 is 8 × 7, when given just the answer 56.
   
   This is very important. Students need this fairly soon when they start learning division. Later on it will be important when simplifying fractions or factoring.
   



3. Since it's important to know the tables backwards, I do not feel it's enough if the child is able to "figure out" the multiplication problems. I feel they need to memorize them, period, and not just be able to count or use some other method to find the answers.
   
   It's fine initially, and indeed very helpful, if the child figures out 8 × 8 by first going 8 × 2 and doubling that twice.
   
   But this fact also needs memorized so that later on, when she comes to the problem 64 ÷ 8, it won't take her 10 seconds to find the answer.
   
   Now you might ask why is that important? Because of long division, for example. It's going to be a pain to learn long division if you don't know your division facts by heart.
   
   Here's another reason: soon the student is going to have fractions to simplify. If you know your division facts, then simplifying 35/56 will be a breeze, otherwise a pain.
   

See how it all builds on the previous topics? You need to get a good foundation, and multiplication facts "both ways" is part of that foundation.

I have posted online the entire guide to effective oral drilling from one of my books.

The guide explains how the teacher and student can achieve memorizing multiplication tables in this manner where they know the answers and they know which answer goes with which multiplication problem.

Check also a list of online games that practice times tables. These are great after you've done some basic drill and the child needs reinforcement (practice!!!).

How NOT to drill addition facts

Some people think "drill is kill", and many people think it's necessary.

And of those that use it, not everyone knows HOW to actually drill math facts effectively.

You know, this is NOT the most effective way:

Shuffle the flash cards and start asking randomly.

Why? Because you are not utilizing techniques that help our brain remember quicker.

For example, it is easier to remember when the mind can tie the fact into something already known.

This is the idea behind silly rhymes such as "five, six, seven, eight - fifty-six is seven times eight."

Besides those, we want to show our children the PATTERNS in math.

So this is how I start drilling math facts (whether addition or multiplication):

I make a list on paper, IN ORDER. For example, lately we've been doing this with my daughter:

8 + 2
8 + 3
8 + 4
8 + 5
8 + 6
8 + 7
8 + 8
8 + 9

We went through the answers and notice how each one is ONE MORE than the next! That's a pattern!

Then I would point to a fact and say the problem so she'd both see and hear it (using two senses). You can additionally MOVE her finger on the chart with yours - so she's using three senses. This should help the auditory, visual, and kinesthetic learners all.

When I'd point to a fact further down the list, automatically she'd know it's more than a fact that is up on the list. It's a visual pattern.

First, I drilled just a few of them, namely 8 + 3, 8 + 5, and 8 + 8 until she remembered those.

After that, I would go first to 8 + 8 which she knew, and immediately after that to 8 + 9, and she was able to deduce it from knowing 8 + 8.

I would gradually add new facts in a similar manner - using the known facts as "stepping stones" so that the new fact was one more or less than a well-known fact.

And so we go "round and round" on this chart.

NOTICE THIS:
= > The chart creates an organized context for the addition facts.

Obviously, the child is also associating the position of the fact on the chart with the answer, and so after this is well remembered, it will still take another effort to remember the facts when they're in isolated context, such as in a game, or in a math book, or on flash cards.

But at least it is a very good start, I feel!

What are your thoughts?