What is a multiplication table?
Memorizing multiplication facts, also called times tables, is an important skill for children to master. Students who struggle learning multiplication facts; typically have difficulty learning more advanced math skills later.
As students learn, memorize, and recall multiplication facts, a multiplication table can be a valuable reference to utilize during instruction and student practice. A multiplication table shows the sequence of products made when you multiply the same factor by each number between 1 and 10. Some teachers choose to use the multiplication table for math drills and speed tests, but the table is also useful in helping students recognize number patterns as they learn their facts.
Why is it important to use multiplication tables?
Multiplication is the building block for subsequent math concepts involved with division, measurement, fractions, and word problems. Learning multiplication facts comes easy for some students, but many children become anxious learning multiplication. This apprehension can quickly create resistance to math if their struggles are not addressed.
It is not always obvious to students why they need to memorize multiplication facts. Some students argue that memorizing multiplication facts is a waste of time. It’s essential for students to understand the meaning behind multiplication and how we depend on multiplication in our everyday lives. Here are two examples. You order a 16-piece pizza to share with 4 people, or you have $30 to buy a gift for 3 different friends. Multiplication mastery makes problems such as these quicker and easier to solve.
It’s best to encourage students to memorize their multiplication facts in chunks. Divide up the table into sections and have students study each section until it’s mastered. Then, students can move on to work on memorizing the next section.
