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When Multiplication Flashcards End in Tears: 3 Strategies That Actually Work

Your child comes home from school and you decide to quiz them on their multiplication flashcards at the suggestion of the teacher. Three cards in and your kid is already in tears. They can’t come up with the right answers, and seem to be guessing half the time. If this is you, you aren’t alone.

 

About half the students in my tutoring practice come to me struggling with their multiplication facts. Multiplication facts are where a lot of students begin to struggle in math class, and for some it can be the first experience that makes them feel like they’re bad at math. Left unchecked, this idea can bloom into full-blown math anxiety. We don’t want that!

 

So how do you help your child learn their times tables? Especially if you’ve tried all the methods you used as a kid? 

 

Make three changes to help your child go from multiplication struggle to success.

 

These tips and tricks are addressed in my Multiplication Tips video. Watch to get a full in-depth explanation of the three multiplication tips along with active visuals for each.

Tip 1: Master essential skills before times tables

Students begin building the foundation for multiplication as early as Kindergarten and continue to add essential skills until they’re introduced to multiplication formally around 3rd grade. Along the way, your child could have missed one or two of these building block skills. It’s important to go back and ensure your student knows the basics before moving on to multiplication recall.

 

Here are the essential pre-multiplication skills your child needs to have mastered:

 

Can your child add fluently? Multiplication is repeated addition, and therefore your child will need to have a handle on addition before multiplying. If your child struggles with addition, it will be helpful to go back and review this concept before moving on.

 

Does your child know what multiplication looks like? As mentioned above, multiplication is repeated addition. Your child needs to have a basic idea of what it looks like to add same-size groups. Students will begin this skill by using physical objects, they will then move to drawings, and finally use equations. 

 

Can your child organize objects into rows and columns? Most multiplication models organize the groupings from earlier repeated addition activities into an area model (picture below). Your child will need to know how to organize objects into columns and rows and draw area models based on multiplication problems. 

multiplication tips with arrays

This image shows the fact 3 x 4 by arranging tiles into three rows and four columns. Your child may also see this as 3 + 3 + 3 + 3 or 4 + 4 + 4

Tip 2: Leverage the multiplication they know by heart

Chances are, your child will have multiplication facts that “stick” and facts that don’t. You want to use the facts they know well to help them remember the times table facts that they don’t. Your child can come up with their own strategies for remembering multiplication with some guidance from you. 

 

What this looks like: A student who is really good at doubling numbers might use the strategy of doubling and doubling again for x4 facts (ex. 6x4 is the same as (6x2)x2). A student who gravitates to x5 facts may try to find x5 facts whenever they can (ex. 6 x 4 is 5x4 plus 1x4). Nines facts can be mastered by multiplying by 10 and then taking away one group (ex. 9x8 is the same as 10x8 - 8)

 

If your child is feeling discouraged that they aren’t retaining their multiplication facts fast enough, remind them of the commutative property (multiplication can be “flipped” and the result will still be the same). When they learn 6x7 they have also learned 7x6.

multiplication strategies

This image shows the fact 6x4 and how a student might break the fact up into (3x4) + (3x4) to find the product.

Tip 3: Make better multiplication flash cards

Traditional flashcards may work for some kids - but the truth is they don’t hit the mark for most. For some, flashcards can even cause meltdowns and math anxiety. 

 

Why traditional multiplication flash cards don’t work: When practicing with flashcards, a student typically will look at the card, guess the answer, and then turn the card over to check if they were correct. If they guessed incorrectly, the card gets put back into the stack to try again. The problem is - this can reinforce the wrong answer and doesn’t give your child the opportunity to practice strategies to find the correct answer. Your child may also leave their multiplication practice sessions feeling defeated and like they haven’t learned anything.

 

What to do instead: You don’t have to toss the multiplication flashcards (though you may be tempted) - instead make this one small change. Cover the “answer” side of the card with a post-it note. On the note, have your child write a hint at their preferred strategy for remembering the fact. When they’re unsure of the answer to the problem on the front, they can flip the card over to see the hint they wrote. They can then take another stab at the product before peeking under the sticky note to reveal the answer.

 

The flash cards may look something like this when you’re done:

2_edited.jpg

This image shows what the front and back of your altered multiplication flashcard might look like.

conclusion

Multiplication trouble and math anxiety are very real, but with the right tools and support your child can find success. After reviewing basic multiplication concepts, make sure to infuse some fun into your practice. Check out this multiplication mosaic activity that I created for parents and kids to enjoy. I’ve also included some of my favorite resources and games below.

 

Don’t forget to dive deeper and find more ideas by watching the YouTube video that pairs with this blog!

Commonly asked questions

  • How long will it take my kid to master their multiplication? 

    • This is a hard question to answer because all kids grow and learn at their own pace. It may take some kids only weeks to memorize their multiplication tables, while other students may take months.

  • What suggestions do you have for a kid who doesn’t want to do multiplication work?

    • A kid who is hesitant to try is often afraid of failure - or has experienced too much failure or embarrassment with the subject in the past. Find ways to make the practice fun, and emphasise that mistakes grow your ability and brain.  

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  • My kid is more into being creative than doing math- how can I get them engaged?

    • This multiplication mosaic activity video would be a great place to start to get your child thinking about their times tables. They can even create drawings and mosaics for the multiplication they’re having trouble with to make it more fun!

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  • My child isn’t confident with their times tables and it’s holding them back on the work they need to do for math class - what do I do? 

    • As your child builds their multiplication knowledge, it may be helpful to provide a multiplication chart for them to reference when they’re working on other skills but still need to use multiplication facts. Just be sure to set aside time to practice the times tables regularly outside of school work.

where to look next

Check out some additional multiplication resources for more learning, fun, and support.

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need more multiplication help?

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