
Multiplication is one of the fundamentals of math. If you don't master them, you'll have a more difficult time going onto higher math. But learning how to make quick calculations with multiplication will help you solidify your math skills and will prove to be essential at work, school and even at the grocery store. Find out how to learn the times tables quickly and effectively so that you can use it at any given moment in your life.
Instructions
1 Multiplication is simply repeated addition. You add a number a certain number of times to find the answer. Each component of multiplication has different names. In 2 x 6 = 12, for example, the 2 is called the multiplicand, the 6 is the multiplier and 12 is the product (the answer). Writing out the times tables will help you learn them quicker. You can also make flash cards to help memorize the multiplications.
2 Before you begin learning the times table, make a grid of 11 boxes across and 11 boxes down. Well fill them in as we go. Leave the top left corner blank and label the top row from left to right, 0," "1," "2," all the way through "9. Then do the same for the left vertical column.
3 Start with the easy times tables first. First, well start with zero. Any number times zero equals zero. That was easy! Write out zero times 1 as 0 x 1 = 0 on one of the blank index cards. Then on another index card, write 0 x 2 = 0. Continue this until you reach 12. Fill in the rows for the zeros. It should cover the second column and second row.
4 Now onto the ones. The ones are easy as the zeros. Any number times one equals the original number. So write, 1 x 1 = 1 and 1 x 2 = 2. Continue this until you reach 1 x 12 = 12. Well skip writing out the zeros again because we already wrote them all out. Once you finish with the index cards, fill in the row and column for the ones. Now out of the 100 multiplication grids, youve filled in 36 of them.
5 Next, its the twos. The twos are pretty easy too. The 2 times tables are like counting upward but skipping every other number. So 2 x 1 = 2 and 2 x 2 = 4. Then the next is, 2 x 3 = 6 and 2 x 4 = 8. 2 x 5 = 10, 2 x 6 = 12, 2 x 7 = 14, 2 x 8 = 16, and 2 x 9 = 18." Write out these twos onto index cards. Then fill in the row and column for the twos.
6 The next easiest tables are the fives. Every multiplication with a five ends in either a five or a zero. For instance, 5 x 1 = 5 and 5 x 2 = 10. Then 5 x 3 = 15 and 5 x 4 = 20. Continue on until you reach 5 x 9 = 45. The easier way to learn the fives is just counting by fives the number of times you need to multiply. So if its 5 x 7, then youd count, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35. Pretty soon, youll just get the hang of it. Writing them out in the grid and on the index cards will help you memorize them too.
7 Now its time to learn the nines. This may seem daunting, but heres an easy trick: use your hands. Hold your hands in front of you. Starting from the left sideso your left pinkycount from 1 to 10. Those fingers represent those numbers.
First start with a lower multiple such as 9 x 2. Curl down the second finger. Everything to the left of that finger represents the first digit, so 1. Then everything to the right represents the second digit, which are eight fingers, so the number 8. Put them together and you have, 1-8, or rather, 18. So 9 x 2 = 18.
This works for every multiple of 9 until 9 x 10. 9 x 9 would mean 8 fingers to the left of the ninth finger and one finger to the right of the ninth finger, so that means it equals 81. It may take a few seconds for a while, but soon youll be memorizing those nines in no time.
Also, if you look at every product of the 9 times table, they equal 9. 1 + 8 = 9.
9 x 3 = 27 and 2 + 7 = 9. One way to learn that trick is that take the multiple minus 1, so for 9 x 3, three minus 1 equals 2. Then what plus 2 equals 9? 7. So the answer to 9 x 3 = 27.
Fill in the grid for the nines, and then write them out onto index cards. Since nines are harder, itll be easier to write them in the grid first so you can keep track of the order and make sure youre not making an error.
8 You have a majority of the times tables down now. Just a few more to go. Now well take on the fours. Fours can be memorized by twice doubling the number youre multiplying with four. So for 4 x 5, double 5. That makes 10. Then double 10, and youll get 20, 4 x 5 = 20. Write out the fours in the grid first, like the nines. Then write them on index cards.
9 Now there are threes, sixes, sevens and eights left. Some of those were covered in the other times tables. There arent really any tricks or easy ways to memorize the remaining times tables except repetition with flash cards. Write out the rest in the grid, simply by adding three each time for the multiples of three, or adding six for the multiples of six. Also add seven each time for the multiple of seven, and add eight each time for the multiple of eight. Then practice with flash cards as much as you can and youll say the answer faster and faster each time. Times tables are really about practice. Write out these multiples that you have left in the grid first. Then write them out on the index cards. Now you have all 100 grids filled in and 100 index cards to practice with.