Learning Mulitiplication Tables
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Students have been skip counting since Kindergarten and before. The reason the 2s, 5s and 10s multiplication tables are easy for students to memorize is due in large part to their ability to skip count by those values. Skip counting also helps students to understand that multiplication is repeated addition (adding 6 over and over again).
In this activity, students start by skip counting by the table they are trying to master, in this case, by 6. Students will notice patterns, such as all the multiples of 6 are even, or that the 6s include every other multiple of 3. |
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Next, students skip count by 6 on the number line. They can count how many times they skip counted to determine the multiplication fact. For instance, 6, 12, 18, 24 shows 6 x 4 = 24 because you have counted by 6, four times. |
Students list the multiples of 6, in essence, skip counting by 6. They then record the multiplication facts for 6.
Finally, students are instructed to memorize skip counting by the number. Students can concentrate on three numbers at a time (6, 12, 18). Their homework can be to practice skip counting by 6. Once they can successfully skip count by 6, they can then start to practice their 6s table.
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Click here to download a PDF file of this activity. It may work best to enlarge on 11" x 17" paper.
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Indicators
6.3.4.3 demonstrate mastery of
multiplication facts for 0, 1, 2, 5, 10.
6.4.3.1 find multiples of numbers.
6.4.4.1 demonstrate mastery of multiplication and division fact families. |
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