Learning Multiplication Facts David McKillop Making Math Matter Inc.

A Fact Learning Strategy

Why should students learn the number facts? They are the basis of all mental math strategies, and mental math is the most widely used form of computation in everyday life Knowing facts is empowering Facilitates the development of other math concepts

How is fact learning different from when I learned facts? 1. Facts are clustered in groups that can be retrieved by the same strategy. 2.Students can remember 6 to 8 strategies rather than 100 discrete facts. 3. Students achieve mastery of a group of facts employing one strategy before moving on to another group.

General Approach Introduce a strategy using association, patterning, contexts, concrete materials, pictures – whatever it takes so students understand the logic of the strategy Practice the facts that relate to this strategy, reducing wait time until a time of 3 seconds, or less, is achieved. Constantly discuss answers and strategies. Integrate these facts with others learned by other strategies. IT WILL TAKE TIME!

Draw 4 rows of 10 on a piece of paper:

Facts with 2s: 2 x ? and ? X 2 Strategy: Connect to Doubles in Addition Start with 2 x ? Relate ? X 2 to 2 x ?

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Facts with 9s: ? X 9 and 9 x ? Nifty Nines Strategy: Two Patterns - Decade of answer is one less than the number of 9s and the two digits of the answer sum to 9 9 x 9 = 81 8 x 9 = 72 7 x 9 = 63 6 x 9 = 54 5 x 9 = 45 4 x 9 = 36 3 x 9 = 27

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Practice the 30 facts and two strategies

Facts with 5s The Clock Strategy: The number of 5s is like the minute hand on the clock – it points to the answer. For example, for 4 x 5, the minute hand on 4 means 20 minutes; therefore, 4 x 5 = 20.

Practice the 13 facts and the clock strategy

Practice Strategy Selection Which facts can use The Clock Strategy? Which facts can use the Nifty Nines Strategy? Which facts can use the Doubles Strategy? 3 x 5 5 x 9 8 x 2 9 x 7 9 x 2 2 x 5 7 x 5 6 x 9

Practice the 43 facts and three strategies

Facts with 0s The Tricky Zeros: All facts with a zero factor have a zero product. (Often confused with addition facts with 0s) If you have 6 plates with 0 cookies on each plate, how many cookies do you have?

Practice the 62 facts and four strategies * * practice of facts with 0 will be very limited

Facts with 1s The No Change Facts: Facts with 1 as a factor have a product equal to the other factor. If you have 3 plates with 1 cookie on each plate OR 1 plate with 3 cookies on it, you have 3 cookies.

Practice the 13 facts and the no- change strategy *

Practice the 75 facts and five strategies

Facts with 3s The Double-and- One-More-Set Strategy. For example, for 3 x 6, think: 2 x 6 is 12 plus one more 6 is 18.

Practice the 9 facts and the double-and-one-more-set strategy *

Practice the 84 facts and six strategies

Facts with 4s The Double- Double Strategy. For example, for 4 x 6, think: double 6 is 12 and double 12 is 24.

Practice the 7 facts and the double-double strategy *

Practice the 91 facts and seven strategies

The Last Nine Facts 6 x 6 6 x 7 and 7 x 6 6 x 8 and 8 x 6 7 x 7 7 x 8 and 8 x 7 8 x 8 Using helping facts: 6 x 6 = 5 x x 6 = 5 x x 6 6 x 8 = 5 x x 8 = 5 x x 8 8 x 8 = 4 x 8 x 2 Some know 8 x 8 is 64 because of a chess board What about 7 x 7?

Practice the 9 facts and the strategies *

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