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Turning the Tables: Fun with Multiplication Games

We all remember sitting in school chanting times tables on a sunny morning. The most successful approach to teaching multiplication tables is the use of a variety of strategies: counting, using concrete materials, identifying patterns and discussing situations that require multiplication in everyday life. Here are  some activities that we hope will help students to internalize multiplication concepts.

The Multiplication Board
Introduce multiplication as repeated addition. Using a multiplication board, insert pegs so that the children can see, for example, two groups of four and also see that 4 + 4 is the same as two groups of four. Continue with further rows of pegs and allow the children to establish the relationship between groups of numbers and repeated addition.

Always refer to the commutative property of multiplication when teaching any multiplication fact: 6 x 4 = 4 x 6. Teach the various square numbers 2 x 2, 3 x 3, 4 x 4 as a single concept, using the multiplication board to show this in visual, concrete terms.

Clock Face 5s
Use an analog clock to help students make the connection with counting in fives.

Twice a Known Fact
If children dont know the answer to 4 x 7, tell them to make four groups of seven with cubes, counters, or other materials. Guide them to rearrange the four groups of seven into two sets of 2 x 7 and draw their attention to the fact that, if they know two groups of seven, then four groups of seven is easy.

Pattern Calendar 7s
Use calendars to help students count in multiples of seven. Ask the children to find the seventh day of the current month and identify the day on which it falls. Ask: "What is the date one week later?" Encourage them to explore the calendar to find other number patterns.

Calculator Constant
Drill the multiples of a certain number up and down the multiples ladder. Use the calculator to drill, for example, the seven times table, by pressing 7 + = = = = = =, and so on. This will display the multiples of seven. However, before you use this activity with your class, make sure it works on your own calculator.

The 9s Finger Trick
Use fingers to teach the nine times table by having children place both hands on the table in front of them. Counting from the left, pick the multiple of nine you want to get the answer for and curl that finger under.  For example, to solve 7 x 9, the fingers to the left of the curled finger are tens, hence six tens (60), and the fingers to the right of the curled finger are units, hence three (3) units. The answer to 7 x 9 is, lo and behold, 63.

Another 9s Trick
Note that when the digits of the products in the nine times table are added, the result is always nine. For example, 9 x 4 = 36. If you add the digits in the product 36, 3 + 6 = 9. This works for any answer in the nine times table and only for nines.

Tried and Tested Times Table Games
Buzz
This old game still works and requires no materials at all! Invite all the students to stand up. Identify the buzz number, such as multiples of three. Now ask them, one by one, to start counting by ones. The first student starts at one, the next student starts at two, and so on. However, when a student is due to say three or a multiple of three, the student says buzz instead. If the student says three or a multiple of three by mistake, he/she must sit down. The last child standing is the winner.

Fuzz Buzz
To dial up the fun with the buzz game, add additional buzz numbers; for example, children buzz on both three and five and multiples of three and five. When there is a common multiple of both three and five 15, 30, 45, 60, and so forth they must say fuzz buzz instead of buzz. Again, the last child standing is the winner. This one takes some practice, but children really enjoy playing it.


Extended Four-in-a-Row Game
The dominoes used in this game are referred to as double-six dominoes, since the highest domino in the set is the double-six tile. This covers the times tables from one to six. To cover the times tables from seven to nine, double-nine dominoes can be purchased. A new 9 x 9 grid showing the products for all the relevant multiples can be constructed.

This is a very flexible game and can be adapted to include all children by differentiating the questions.

With a few manipulatives on hand and some easily constructed grids, students in class or children at home can have hours of fun learning their multiplication tables!

Reprinted from Class Ideas, Term 2, 2008, Issue #45. Original article reprinted by Class Ideas from In Touch magazine with kind permission.