Math teachers: best way to learn x's tables?

[scrapquitler]

In addition to what some pp's have mentioned, music. My dd loved schoolhouse rock and still sings the ditties to help remember sometimes. You can also search youtube for multiplication songs and get quite a few hits. There have also been cd's made, and I'm sure songs on i-tunes and amazon you can download. Good luck!

This. Schoolhouse Rock!

 

[ShelsGoingToDisney]

I'm a firm believer in breaking it down by one number at a time. Master the 1's, then the 2's, and so on. I am also a firm believer in good old fashioned timed tests. I allowed students to use their multiplication charts as needed. They all were able to retire them on their own. All the songs, and tricks, and riddles are great for when you first learn the facts but you need to get those facts ingrained in your mind so you don't even have to think about it. This helps so much when you start doing larger multiplication and division problems.

I taught in an inner city school where my 4th graders came to me well below grade level in all subjects. Every year when my class left me every single student had mastered their multiplication and division facts using this method.

Here are some free timed tests sheets, multiplication charts, and some puzzles you can download that break it down by factor:
http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/The-Teaching-Bank/Price-Range/Free/Category/Math-Activities

 

[EnduringWone]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWbQU6CGF-0

an example of what I was talking about.

Many great ideas on this thread that I will be using, thank you all!

How about tricks for borrowing? When it is triple borrowing my daughter has some confusion.

Practice, practice, practice...any thing else?

 

[EnduringWone]

we so need a like button for this thread!

 

[U2_rocks!]

I don't have a lot of time to sit and drill my kids or play the card games - we are all so busy! So they have used this website for drills on their own:

http://www.mathsisfun.com/numbers/math-trainer-multiply.html

It gives you random multiplications and you have to type in the answer as quickly as you can. You have to answer as many as you can in 5 minutes (or you can change the time period). If you get answers incorrect or take too long to answer (i.e. you are working them out rather than just knowing them by heart) it sends you the same sum again and again until you improve. It stops sending the ones you answer quickly and correctly. After the 5 minutes is up it gives you a grid showing which ones you answered quickly, which ones you answered slowly, which were incorrect etc.