Multiplication Tables

Behind Isabel's back, Joey and I proudly call her "Rainman."  She memorizes everyone's birthdays, she knows our phone numbers and address, even our old address, and has all of her multiplication facts up to the elevens and then the fifteens memorized.  All without any help from me. Luke on the other hand has inherited my up-in-the-clouds brain.  Not necessarily a bad kind of brain, just difficult to keep numbers in.  We've gone through multiplication flashcards, worksheets, I've even tried mnemonic stories or rhyming to help him know his multiplication table.  After a day of feeling like he's made some progress, once we try again the next day, it's as if all of the numbers have fallen out of his brain again.

I am thinking about getting these multiplication table practice pads and have him fill one out every day.

Ooooo, I am sure these mnemonic stories might work.  (I don't think the ones I made up made much sense.)

I know what pencils to give my kids to use if they ever need to take a state math test...CHEATING!

As I was searching around for some ideas I learned about Kuku Tables.  Do they call it that because Math makes you Kuku?

Kuku - Memorizing Multiplication Tables

"Kuku" is a Japanese method for memorizing multiplication tables by using a rhythmic chant. Japanese students are supposed to learn "Kuku" by heart in the second grade. For example, "two times three equals six" is said as, ...

I think Genki-Math had this in mind for their youtube videos.  They just make me giggle.

GenkiMath.com: 8 Times Table Song Multiplication Table

"Maths Games - Which style do you prefer, this or the Hip Hop style of the 11 times table? To try and make math a little more interesting, here's a simple song of the 8 times table. If you know anyone who's learning their ti..."

But seriously, does anyone have any suggestions, ideas or resources on memorizing multiplication tables?

Halloween Fun and Multiplication Stress

Today Luke, Isabel and Sylvia made Haunted Houses from Paper bags while trying to guess the answers to these Halloween jokes.  In Luke's opinion, only the "plumpkin" one was funny. Questions 1.  Why didn't the skeleton cross the road? 2.  What do ghosts serve for dessert? 3.  Why do witches fly on brooms? 4.  When is it bad luck to meet a black cat? 5.  What was the witch's favorite subject in school? 6.  What do you call a friendly dead Egyptian? 7.  What do you call a skeleton who won't work? 8.  What do you call a fat Jack-O-Lantern? 9.  Why don't skeletons like parties? 10. What do witches put on their hair? 11. What was the favorite game at the ghosts' birthday party? 12. Why are there fences around cemeteries?

Answers 1.  He didn't have the guts 2.  Ice Scream 3.  Vacuum cords aren't long enough 4.  When you're a mouse 5.  Spelling 6.  A chummy mummy 7.  Lazy bones 8.  A plumpkin 9.  They have no body to dance with 10. Scare Spray 11. Hide and Shriek 12. Because People are Dying to get in.

I also had a Halloween crossword puzzle for them to do but never got to it so, maybe Friday.  Other than that, we did bare minimum today.  Journals, math, clean room, practice instruments, and NT.

The last few weeks I have been using flash cards to help Luke memorize his multiplication facts.  I could really tell that I needed to try something different because it just wasn't working with him.  He is very bright and usually pretty good at memorizing, but I think the flash cards made him feel stressed and discouraged.  Today a friend of mine that used to teach third grade gave me a few suggestions.  One that I tried today was to lay out the flash cards on the floor, give him pieces of paper with answers on them and let him match them up.  I could tell that he felt encouraged and even asked me if he could do his flash cards like that all of the time.  If anyone has other suggestions about memorizing multiplication facts, let me know.