Memorizing Multiplication Tables

Date: 01/06/97 at 22:20:33
From: Anonymous
Subject: I don't know my times!

Dear Dr.Math,

Hi! My name is Katie. I am 9 years old. I am in the 4th grade.
I am having a problem memorizing my multiplication times tables. 
Do you have an idea how I can do this easily so that I won't forget?

Thanks for the information,
Katie

Date: 01/11/97 at 06:04:58
From: meciru
Subject: Problem

Ever since I started school I have had a really hard time learning my 
times tables. What can I do to learn them? I am going into year 6 at a 
private school.

Date: 01/07/97 at 13:13:06
From: Doctor Wilkinson
Subject: Re: I don't know my times!

Memorizing is hard work.  The best way I know is to use flash cards.  
Get yourself a stack of 3x5 cards. For every times that you need to 
memorize, write the problem on one side and the answer on the other.  
Like

 4x9 on one side
 36 on the other side

Once you have made the cards, just keep running through them.  
If you see 4x9 and you say "36" you turn the card over and see "36", 
so you can put the card in the pile of ones that you know.  But if you 
say "42" you turn the card over and see that you were wrong, so you 
put the card in the pile of ones that you don't know.  When you've 
gone through all the cards, take the ones you don't know and go 
through them again.

Don't always do the cards in the same order.  Mix them up.

If you practice this way I think you can learn them much faster.

-Doctor Wilkinson,  The Math Forum
 Check out our web site!  http://mathforum.org/dr.math/   

Date: 01/11/97 at 06:58:52
From: Doctor Sarah
Subject: Re: problem

Hi -

To help you make up your flash cards, here's a times table:

        2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9  10  11  12

    2   4   6   8  10  12  14  16  18  20  22  24

    3   6   9  12  15  18  21  24  27  30  33  36
    
    4   8  12  16  20  24  28  32  36  40  44  48
    
    5  10  15  20  25  30  35  40  45  50  55  60
    
    6  12  18  24  30  36  42  48  54  60  66  72

    7  14  21  28  35  42  49  56  63  70  77  84
   
    8  16  24  32  40  48  56  64  72  80  88  96
    
    9  18  27  36  45  54  63  72  81  90  99 108

   10  20  30  40  50  60  70  80  90 100 110 120

   11  22  33  44  55  66  77  88  99 110 121 132

   12  24  36  48  60  72  84  96 108 120 132 144


Learning multiplication tables can be hard until you figure out your 
own personal style of memorizing.  Some people learn by just looking, 
some by listening, some by writing over and over. Do you know how you 
learn best?  

I always had to say the words out loud, over and over. Eventually they 
stuck and now multiplying in my head up through 10 goes *much* faster 
than using any calculator by hand.  I never did really practice my 
11's or 12's though, so I have to stop and think when I get over 100.  
(I wish I had learned them up through 20 while I was at it!)

I hope this helps.  Good luck!

-Doctor Sarah,  The Math Forum
 Check out our web site!  http://mathforum.org/dr.math/