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Boy, over the years, I've gotten
tons of emails from stressed out parents who could just not
get their kids to learn their times tables!
There are definitely some key
things I need to tell you about before you jump into our
times tables lessons, etc.
First of all, they are REALLY going
to need to know their times tables -- REEEALLY well! I
cannot stress this enough! Hey, I have college
students who do not know their times tables... Let's
put an end to that right now.
There are two places in elementary
school math where we lose kids: long division and
fractions. Long division hits first... During
one problem, they'll have to divide, multiply and subtract
several times. Without knowing those times tables off
the top of their heads, this will seem like an impossible
task. I've had many, many college kids tell me that
long division is what turned them into a life-long
math-hater... Until I got a hold of them and changed
their minds, of course!
Now, did you notice that I talked
about multiplying AND dividing in that last paragraph?
That's because they go hand in hand. They go together
like ramma-lamma-lamma-a-diggity-diggity-dong! (Sorry
for slipping into a song from Grease there!) Please
teach the times tables for multiplication and division at
the same time!! (See my lesson on "What
Numbers Go Together."
Here's another important thing and
something parents ask me about a lot:
"My child just can't seem to
remember her times tables. She doesn't seem to
UNDERSTAND them."
Understanding.... Ah...
Trust me on this one. The reason your child cannot
remember that 7 x 8 = 56 is NOT
because of a lack of understanding, it's because he/she just
hasn't memorized that one yet!!
Whatever you may hear flying around
the elementary schools these days, memorization is NOT a
dirty word. Yes, definitely have your child understand
what multiplication and division means (I've got lessons on
it). But after that, it's all about memorizing those
puppies. What comes to your mind when you see the
numbers 6 and 7? The numbers 13 and 42 should pop
right up and it should for them too!
Really, I think that drawing all
those set bubbles for big numbers like 8x9=72 is just a lot
of busy work. Stick with smaller numbers for these!
Enjoy!!
-- Coolmath Karen
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