Times Tables Are Hard!

Times tables are hard!

(And how we can make them easier)

Lots of people struggle with times tables, but luckily, there are a lot of tips and tricks to help you! Here are a few:

Individual times tables:

· ONE – When you multiply (times) a number by ONE, the answer is the original number (e.g. 1x3=3, 7x1=7)

· TWO – To multiply a number by TWO, you add the number to itself (e.g. 2x6 =6=6=12). Always make sure your answer ends with an EVEN number (2, 4, 6, 8, 0). If it doesn’t, your answer is wrong

· THREE – There’s no real trick here, just add the number to itself twice (e.g. 3x8=8+8+8=24). You can check if a number is a MULTIPLE of three by adding the digits (and, if necessary, adding the digits of the answer). They should add to 3, 6, or 9. (e.g. 24 is a multiple of three because when we add the digits (2 and 4), we get 6. 35 is NOT a multiple of 3, because when we add the digits (3 and 5), we get 8.

· FOUR – Double the number twice. (e.g. 4x7. Double 7 is 14 (7+7), and double 14 is 28 (14+14), so 4x7=28)

· FIVE – Multiply the number by TEN (add a zero to the end of it), then HALF it (e.g. 4x5. 4x10=40, 40/2=20, so 4x5=20). Every multiple of 5 will end in 5 or 0, so it’s easy to check if your answer seems right!
TIP: If this is still tricky, you could try this: For an even number, half the number and add a zero. For an odd number, take away one, half it, then add a five. E.g. 5x7. 7-1=6, 6/2=3, then we add a five to get 35.

· SIX – Multiply the number by three and then double it. Any multiple of six should be both a multiple of three (the digits add to 3, 6, or 9) and end with an even number (2,4,6,8,0).

· SEVEN – The seven times tables are the hardest of them all. There’s only one trick I know that sort of works.
Seven is TEN minus THREE. So to write out the seven times tables, we either add seven to the units or, if the units are three or higher, we take three away from the units and add one to the tens. Yes, that sounds very

complicated, so here’s a handy diagram to help you!

· EIGHT – Double the number three times. Yep, just keep adding that number to itself! (E.g. 8x8. 8+8=16, 16+16=32, 32+32=64, so 8x8=64).

· NINE – For each multiple of nine, the digits add to nine. (E.g. 81 is a multiple of 9 because 8+1 =9, 42 is NOT a multiple of nine because 4+2=6). We can multiply any number by 9 by using the finger trick. Label your fingers 1-10 and put down the finger number you want to multiply by nine. The number of fingers LEFT of the finger down is the tens, and the number of fingers to the RIGHT is the units.

(If you don’t have ten fingers, draw ten lines and cover one up instead of putting a finger down)
Here`s a handy diagram, in case that explanation was a bit wordy (words can be hard!)

MUSIC!!! ♪♪♫♫♪♪

Another way to learn your times tables is through song! The following link will take you to a YouTube playlist which puts each times table to a different pop song!

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLaSZ7kwwxKqXpdLA0hIA9fa8RVmRC32pv

COLOURS

If colours are more your thing, then you’re in luck! The hardest times tables are six, seven, and eight, so we’re going to learn how to multiply six, seven, and eight using colours!

Let’s say SIX is RED, SEVEN is YELLOW, and EIGHT is BLUE. When we times the numbers, we mix the colours.

SIX times SIX is THIRTY-SIX
SIX times SEVEN is FORTY-TWO
SEVEN times SEVEN is FORTY-NINE
EIGHT times SEVEN is FIFTY-SIX
EIGHT times EIGHT is SIXTY-FOUR
EIGHT times SIX is FORTY-EIGHT

You may wish to stick up each number, with its colours, somewhere you go often, like your bedroom or stairs. If you can remember the number for each colour, you can do the most difficult times tables sums!

36 42 49 56 64 48

Alternatively, you may want to remember a picture for each colour, where the name or descri ption of the picture rhymes with the corresponding number. It’s more steps, but it’s easier to remember. For example:

RED – FLIRTY LIPS – THIRTY-SIX

ORANGE – ORANGE JUICE – FORTY-TWO

YELLOW – LEMON - NOT A LIME – FORTY-NINE

GREEN – TO GET KIDS TO EAT GREEN YOU NEED NIFTY TRICKS – NIFTY TRICKS – FIFTY-SIX

BLUE – FLOOR BY A POOL – SLIPPY FLOOR – SIXTY-FOUR

PURPLE – PURLPLE GRAPES WHICH TASTE YUCKY (GREEN GRAPES ARE SUPERIOR) – NAUGHTY GRAPES – FORTY-EIGHT

So, draw a picture of a lime! A glass of orange juice! The floor by a pool!!! Get creative, and learn your times tables!!

Rhyme time!!!

My final trick is to come up with rhyming sentences to remember your trickiest times tables. A well known example is:

I ATE and ATE til I was SICK on the FLOOR
So EIGHT times EIGHT is SIXTY-FOUR

You could come up with sentences for the other times tables you struggle with! Remember, there’s no such thing as too silly when it comes to these fun little rhymes, and funny things actually help you learn better!

Good luck with your times tables! I believe in you!!!