8 Ways to Teach Multiplication Tables 1 to 20 that Your Kid Will Love

One of the most common questions that parents and guardians ask is, “Is there a way to teach my child times tables 1 to 20 without putting too much pressure?” Indeed, math is one of the complex subjects that students struggle with at school. The truth is that it’s not easy but it’s not difficult, the child just needs to have the right mindset and attitude towards the subject.

After an extensive research online and interviewing math tutors, here are 8 ways to teach multiplication tables 1 to 20 that your child will love.

#1 – Multiplication Wall Chart

This is perhaps one of the oldest teaching methods used in schools and at home. Download a times table sheet online and sit down with your child to fill all the boxes. Once filled, hang it in a place that the child frequents and can see it clearly. For example, you can decide to hang it behind the toilet door, in their bedroom door or on the fridge door.

Come up with a schedule to go through the tables sheet several times per week.
The sessions should be casual, no pressure to create a conducive learning environment.

Practice makes perfect and the more times the child sees the tables sheet, the more they will understand how to do the calculations independently.

#2 – Teach the Child How to Walk Before They Can Run

After countless debates and research studies, tutors agree that that the easiest way to teach times tables 1 to 20 is by starting with 2, 5, and 10. These numbers have an easy to understand pattern as compared to the other numbers.

For example, in the 2-and 10-times table, all the numbers are even. If you multiply any number with an even, the result is even. Help your child to identify and understand these patterns to make the process fun and simple.

#3 – Use Tricks to Teach Them Multiplication Tables 1 to 20

The beauty of math is that there are many trips and tips that you can use to understand and remember concepts. Times tables 1 to 20 is no different. One of the most common and simplest tricks is using fingers to know the nine times tables. Spread out all your 10 fingers in front of you.

To find the answer to 9 x 1, put the left pinky finger down and you are left with 9 fingers. For 9 x2, put the left ring finger down. You will be left with one finger and a gap that is followed by 8 fingers. Combine the two to get 18 and so on.

This kind of tricks will make learning multiplication tables 1 to 20 fun and easy for your child. They will help them to understand the mathematical reasoning behind math tables.

#4 – Multiplication War Card Game

Multiplication war card game is another simple and effective way of teaching math tables. The game is pretty straightforward and involves two players and a deck of cards. Each player draws one card from the deck and flips the cards over. The first person to guess the total of the two cards multiplied wins the other players card and piles it on his or her side. The person with the highest number of cards at the end wins the game.

#5 – Use Fun Songs to Learn Times Tables

Catchy music is one of the easiest ways of getting out information that is stuck in the head. There are a number of YouTube channels that specialise in using fun memorable songs to teach students times tables.

Check out Mr. DeMaio an elementary school teacher in America who uses his YouTube channel to teach times tables. He is famous for creating clever parodies of songs that are popular among children. For example, he uses a cover of Mark Ronson and Bruno Marks song, Uptown Funk to teach three times tables.

#6 – The Waldorf Multiplication Flower

This method of teaching times tables 1 to 20 is ideal for creative kids. Start by telling the child to draw the centre of the flower and write any number between 2 and 12 inside. Then, help them draw 12 petals around the centre. Write a number 1 to 12 in each of the petals. Finally, let them draw 12 more petals that contains the number at the centre multiplied by the number in each peter in the inner circle.

#7 – Regularly Prepare Quizzes for Them

Quizzes will help you to know if your child is headed in the right directions. The results will enable you pinpoint their strengths and weaknesses. The quiz does not have to be written, you can ask them questions as you walk them to the school bus or as walk in the local recreational park.

Depending on the progress, you can normalise the quizzes by agreeing on a specific day and time of the week that you will quiz them instead of random quizzes.

#8 – Appreciate their Progress

Show the child that you care and recognise the effort they are putting into studying times tables 1 to 20 by rewarding them. This simple gesture will heighten their enthusiasm and change their attitude towards math in general.

Please note that the reward should not be only when they get the answers right, treat them if you notice they are working hard to master the tables. Remember not to judge or scold them when they fail to answer the questions correctly. Strive to make the learning process as enjoyable as possible.

Conclusion

All children can master multiplication tables 1 to 20 if taught the right way and motivated to keep on keeping on.
Applying these 8 strategies will greatly help your child to fall in love with math and become a pro in times tables too.

Feel free to share your experiences and results in the comment section.