Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums General Discussion multiplication table - advice please

How old was your DC when they memorized the multiplication table?
I understand its highly dependent on the individual but I'm wondering if 6 years is too young too start if they are not overly fascinated with numbers.

Her next step in math is to really memorize those numbers so we can move on to multi digit multiplication and long division and her learning style is not like my DS, who learned them pretty much effortlessly at 7.5 years. She is very much the opposite of him and detests repetitive rote learning.

She is very self directed and has issues with me teaching her so I don't want to set the explosives off, but on the other hand, she will likely be in 3rd grade math next year in school and fast recall will be expected.

Can you direct me to any sites, games etc to help aid in memorizing these? TIA!

I first introduced the concept to DS when he was in kindergarten and he could figure out answers to problems by skip counting/adding, like 4X8 is two eights which is 16, and then 16 again, but I didn't try to teach memorization of the facts. His older sister was going into third grade last summer and I knew she would need to know them, so I had her do Big Brainz on the PC. DS was the one who got really into the game and learned the facts (as well as becoming fluent with addition/subtraction on Big Brainz). So he was just over 6 when he learned the facts. I think that if a child doesn't really understand the multiplication concept yet (or has difficulty) it's too early to learn the table. DD is 8 and still has trouble remembering the table, but understands the concept of multiplication easiy, so it just depends on the kid and their strengths/weaknesses as well. DD has some processing/attention issues.

I'd suggest this document:
http://www.visualspatial.org/files/tchmath.pdf

The idea being not to memorize, but to learn. This has come up in many variations here.

DD learned them right after she turned 8, and DS5 somehow learned almost all of them at the same time (incidental learning? osmosis?). DD has an only slightly above-average memory (if you believe the WISC) and DS seems to have an excellent memory (not yet tested, my observation). DS also seems more mathy than DD (although DD is good at math).

DD also detests rote learning - but she got through it and has been making excellent progress in math since then.

We used Xtra Math - it is simple, not entertaining, but effective for building automaticity of simple math facts.

My kids both loved the School House Rock songs/video's. We had a DVD but you can find them on you-tube these days. I found while driving, was a good time to practice the times tables.

I don't think 6 is too young for a kid who enjoys math and already understand multiplication.

Timez Attack Pc game (free at www.bigbrainz.com)

Aiden started wanting to learn them at 5, but we had the whole leaving school and therapy debacle. Then he refused to memorise anything. So I got him a little workbook called "making friends with numbers" from the guys who publish LOF (ztwist). It is awesome and he has learnt all his multiplication facts without realising it and without any rote memorisation. and the ones he is still shaky on he can work out from the stuff he knows well.

This book is child-led (even has a big disclaimer on the frong about its not for parents or teachers to mark) and it takes them through from multiplying by 10 (easy add a 0) all the way through squares, area, and ends at fractions. I check the book when he sleeps - he calls it Dessert Maths.

so in a round about way to answer your question - I don't think 6 is too young at all.

Thanks for your tips! Thanks for the link Zen Scanner, I will check it out. I am a very auditory sequential learner so I am doing lots of reading on visual learning (very much DH and probably DD). Thank you!

She understood the concept of multiplication and division very early on, seemingly without instruction but I tried getting her to "memorize" the table and she threw the placemat I bought her in the trash

She loves the school house rock songs, but when she sniffed out what I was trying to get accomplish, she isn't so eager to watch them anymore.

Thanks Blackcat, Loy58, I will check those site/games out.

Zens link is exactly how we went about it. We really had no problem with memorization it just seemed to be the logical way to do it. It was around 5 when he got it. He still hated the timed tests. Division made him think a bit especially when it got over 10.

If she is 6 and resisting I might not push. She is already ahead of the game, you can keep going without this it will just slow her down on more advanced multiplication. On the other hand just using the more advanced math might be all she needs to "memorize" them.

DS figured it by himself out by age 5 before kindergarten. It was just self-motivated exploration of numbers.