How do I get my daughter to learn her multiplication tables?

Question

she's 10 and I've tried everything, flash cards, writing them over and over, she just forgets a few minutes later.

Answer 1

Focus on only one set for 3 or more days. (2x1, 2x2, 2x3,...).
Studies show that some people will forget things learned if they try to focus on more than one set at a time. That is why teachers normally focus on one set at a time for a week usually.
Also, incorporate it into your life. Think of things that can be applied to multiplication tables.
Put the tables to music. A melody helps children (and adults) remember things better.
Dominoes also work well as flash cards. Our son and daughter learned adding, subtracting, multiplication, and division using dominoes.
Give her a goal - a positive one - whenever she gets them all right at the end of the learning period for each set (one at a time of course). It should be something small for each set - perhaps a game of mini golf or a movie rental or an ice cream.
Make a larger goal for when all tables are memorized - and she has to know them all to get the prize. You should set the prize for the goal, something you can afford and something big enough to get her interested in really learning those tables.
Don't go off about it if she does not get them right away. You may be creating a block if you make too big a deal about her not being able to get them right. There is nothing worse than negative reinforcement, so keep your cool and focus on only positive feedback from you. After all you want to make this fun so that she picks up on it even better.
And - be very patient, it may be that she truly has trouble with them and you may end up needing a tutor. Check with the school for free tutors if you can not afford one.
Best wishes!

Answer 2

try to explain why the need for multiplication and how it works.

for example: make 5 group of pennies. each group has 10 pennies. now ask the student how many pennies are on the table.
the student will probably count each penny to get the answer.

now explain that we found an easier and much faster way to get the answer (5x10=50)

I would even give examples of the use of multiplication in our every day life.


Make it a game starting with the easiest multiplier. this will build the student's confidence. I am not adverse to offering some sort award when each is learned.

hope this helps. oh one more suggestion:

make each learning session short unless the student wants to continue.a 10 year old's attention span is not very long and their frustration level low. end the teaching session on a high note!

Answer 3

get her to practice using multiplication tables - a 10x10 chart with numbers from 1-10 placed randomly across the top and down the side. Then time her doing it so that it becomes like a game. She can even draw her own tables and develop her own strategy for how she completes them.

Answer 4

Try to ask a friend of her to do it infront of her. She will get jealous, and would somehow try to remember it. I always believe that humans feeling is a very strong power that can do anything

Answer 5

i remember my brother had the same problem. i told him (back then) to multiply small numbers using addition (3 x 4 = 3+3+3+3).

Answer 6

M&M's or something

show her visually:

3 rows of green M&Ms by 3 columns and let her count them if she needs to. go slow.

Answer 7

if u can't succeed with the easy way try the difficult one...ask her to learn only one table each week...

Answer 8

practice just a few over and over

Answer 9

make a game out of it--ask her teacher for suggestions

Answer 10

Are you sure she doesn't suffer from Dyscalculia - or number dyslexia?