How I Get my Students to Master their Multiplication Facts

Every single teacher in the upper elementary classroom has a common struggle, and that is getting students to memorize their multiplication facts. We KNOW the difference it will make in the long term, but lets face it, it is laborious and in many cases BORING for your students. 

Memorizing multiplication facts does matter in the long run. I know that some people are on team "just build understanding" and don't worry about team "memorize your facts". But...I am here to tell you that if your students memorize their facts, it will be a game changer for them in not only multiplication but also division, fractions, decimals, algebra, and more throughout their schooling. 

Here's what I like to do that builds success in my classroom. 

Build Understanding of What Multiplication is

If you have third graders, but this could also apply to any grade level with weak multiplication skills, you should definitely build an understanding of what multiplication is and how it works. Some great ways to do this are by using the following strategies:

• Arrays
• Equal groups
• Repeated addition
• Skip counting
• Number lines

Teach Multiplication Fact Families in a Strategic Order

One way you can do this is to begin with the simpler facts first. This is a good way to order the facts as your students memorize them. 

• x0
• x1
• x2
• x10
• x5
• x11
• x9
• x4
• x3
• x6
• x8
• x7
• x12

Zeros are the easiest because anything times zero is zero. After that, 1's are next because whenever you multiply by one, the answer is always the other factor in your equation. Most students who are coming into third grade already have some knowledge of counting by 2's, 10's and 5's, so that makes these facts easier to target near the beginning of the order. Then I slowly build. Another thing to point out here is that when your students are learning their facts, another way you can do it is to introduce the fact with the factors in both orders. For instance, if a student is learning their 2's facts, they can learn that 2x3=6 and that 3x2=6. This is an example of the communitive property and can lesson the amount of facts they have to learn when they get to the higher numbers, because they will have already memorized several just by focusing on the communitive property as they go along. 

Practice for a Short Amount of Time Each Day 

Here's what this can look like. 

• 1 minute fact sheet timing (most of my students really love these, but for those who do not, that is OK, because this is just one part of how we practice.) 
• Partner practice (I have my students practice a facts list aloud with a partner. They say the facts and answers in order as many times as they can in one minute. The partner acts as a checker and stops and corrects them as they go along. Then they switch.)
• Multiplication Games (During small groups, my students practice multiplication games with a partner or in small groups. They can practice while focusing on just one set of multiplication facts or as they build their skills, I have games that have a mixed group of facts.) 

The key is to be consistent in your routine. A consistent time each day can build skills faster and help students retain them as well. Be sure to revisit previously learned sets. A good way to do this would be to keep fact cards for each set that has been memorized in a file box or baggie for each student. Every day they can go through those quickly in 2-5 minutes and with an answer on the back of each card, they can self-check.

Focus on the Hard Facts

Students often struggle most with these facts:

• x6
• x7
• x8

A great way to motivate them to memorize their 6s and 7s is to use the current 6-7 trend. There's just something about that that just gets kids excited. You could challenge students to memorize those two sets in just 6-7 days. Have a fun little party at the end for those who make it. Here are some easy (and cheap) 6-7 party ideas.

• Get giant 6 and 7 balloons. Have students take their picture with the 6 and 7 for the 6-7 multiplication hall of fame. Be sure to post their pictures and send one home. 
• Serve Sixlets as a snack
• Make trail mix from 7 items
• Drink 7UP

To make the 8s facts easier, you can build on the previous knowledge. If they know their 4s times tables, they can simply double those answers. For instance 4x4=16. 8X4 =16 doubled, which is 32. 

Celebrate Growth Instead of Perfection

• Personal best charts
• Class goals
• Sticker rewards
• Mystery prizes
• Fact master certificates

Celebrate improvement, not just speed. Some of my students really struggle with speed and can get discouraged. So don't forget those who are improving. Maybe last time they solved 25 facts in the minute timing and this time they solved 30...that is worth celebrating!

The Resource that Saves Me Time

A few years ago, I sat down and created a system for teaching my students that included lots of different ways for them to practice. I kept the learning styles in mind when creating this and focused in on different styles for the different activities. I also wanted it to be a fun theme that students could really get excited about. So, I created a resource that is a Multiplication Spy School Challenge. Students work to master their facts, set-by-set, with a fun set of spy activities, earning badges along the way to solve a mystery. At the end we have Spy School graduation with certificates for all the multiplication spies. It truly is a lot of fun and it saves time in planning out the activities or having to create them. If you want to save yourself the time and trouble, check out the resources by clicking on the links below. 

Multiplication Spy Academy Learning System - 

Comes with a free multiplication center game (Find Five)

I-Spy Multiplication Game

Math Game Monday: Multiplication Draw and Trace

Welcome to Math Game Monday!

If you are anything like me, you realize that students learn best when they are actively engaged in their learning. That's the main reason why I am excited to introduce my Math Game Monday - a weekly series that will be filled up with fun, easy to prep math games for students in 3rd-5th grades. These games will help students practice and review important skills and they can actually start enjoying math.

Each Monday I will share a classroom-tested game that is perfect for not only math centers, but can be used in small groups, with a partner, or for early finishers. You will find out just how easy these games can be to set up, encourage meaningful math conversations along the way, and give students plenty of opportunities to build confidence in their math skills.

In whatever you are teaching, whether it is place value, multiplication, division, fractions, or decimals, my goal is to give you engaging activities that will save you time and keep your students excited about math. 

So, grab a drink, bookmark this series, and check back each and every Monday for a new game your students will ask to play again and again. Here's to making math the most anticipated part of the week!

This Week's Featured Math Game:

Multiplication Draw and Trace

This is a really simple game that is highly engaging and easy to differentiate. There are lots of options for this game. 

How to Play Multiplication Draw & Trace

Committing the multiplication facts to memory is so important for math. There are many ways you can play this game. The game comes with all the different multiplication sets form 1-12. Each board focuses on one set. 

1. Play Independently

This is a perfect game for students to play alone, making it great for early finishers. Students choose the set of multiplication facts they are currently working on memorizing, add a one minute timer (I like the little sand timer that I purchased in the Target Dollar Spot) and they are ready to go. The student will mix up the cards, flip their timer, and begin flipping cards one at a time. Each card has an equation and when flipped, the student should locate the product, to that equation, on their board. When found, they will use a whiteboard marker to trace over that product. The student will continue to flip and trace until the timer runs out, or they complete their entire board. If they can complete the whole board before the timer runs out, the student wins. 

2. Play with a Partner

When playing with a partner, it is easy to differentiate. Students can each choose the board of the multiplication fact set they are working on. The sets can be different, or they can even work on the same set if you print multiples of each set. Both students will mix their own stack of cards, placing them upside down. On "GO" students will begin flipping one card at a time, finding the product and tracing it. Students continue to flip and trace until one student completes their entire board. The student who completes their board first is the winner. 

3. Play with a Group

To play with a group, each student will choose their own board. Choose the multiplication set they ware currently working to learn. Different students can have different sets or the same (if you have multiples of each set). Each student will mix up their cards, placing them face down. On "GO" each student will flip their top card and work as quickly as possible to find the matching product, trace it, and continue flipping and tracing until one student finishes their board. That student is the winner.

4. Play with your Whole Class

This version is great as a review when students have a good understanding of the basic facts 1-12. Students will each be given a game set (board with matching cards) and a marker. The teacher will set a 1 minute timer. Students will mix their cards and on "GO" everyone will race to flip and trace the products on their board. The goal of this version is to finish before the timer runs out, so you can have multiple winners. If you choose, you could have students slide around the classroom from seat to seat playing multiple times with different fact sets. 

Why Multiplication Draw and Trace is a great classroom game

This game is super simple for students to learn. There are multiple ways to play. You can fully differentiate this game to meet the needs of your students, making it the perfect level for all. 

How to Prep the Game: Multiplication Draw and Trace

First, print out each board and set of cards. I made the cards in a grid, so they are quick and easy to cut apart. This saves time for busy teachers. I printed two sets of each so two students could work on the same set of multiples if needed. One tip I would give is to laminate if possible. This will allow your game to last for years, saving a lot of time in the long run. Place each game set in its own large one-gallon bag to keep them organized. I store mine in hanging folders in a crate for easy access. I sort my games by multiplication fact and store each fact set in a separate folder that is labeled with the fact number. 

To view a small video of this game or to purchase it, follow this link.

 

 

 

Score Big with Soccer-Themed Learning During the World Cup

Right now, FIFA (the World Cup) is creating a buzz across this country and around the world. Soccer fans are glued to TV sets or (the lucky ones) are visiting one of the many fields to catch a game in person. Even people who are not soccer fans, are stopping and taking notice of this global phenomenon. Soccer is shrinking the world by bringing us together. The World Cup is giving us images of incredible perseverance, teamwork, and of course bringing a spotlight to the different cultures around the world. 

I love to take something like this and harness the excitement by bringing it into my classroom for the engagement factor. My favorite Soccer-Themed book (that is PREFECT for the World Cup ...and beyond) is The Floating Field. 

1. Why The Floating Field is a perfect read aloud during the World Cup

The book, The Floating Field, is set in the country of Thailand. A group of boys are absolutely obsessed with soccer. But their problem is that they live in a floating village and so there is not enough room to play soccer. And so the boys work together to come up with a plan. They persevere through hardships to create an ideal field for their situation and form a soccer team of their own. 

This book is rich in culture. Students will learn about the Thai. Another important thing this book teaches is perseverance. When people in the village do not believe in the boys they continue to persevere until they make their dream a reality and even after, they still continue to persevere through building a team. There are also themes of community as well as creativity. I just cannot not say enough great things about this book. If you do not own this book and do not want to purchase be sure to check to see if your local library has it, or you could even pop up a read aloud version on YouTube. 

My students absolutely love this book for many reasons. Automatically they connect with it over the game of soccer. To see that it is a universal pastime and that children in other countries, that maybe students have never even heard of, are also engaging in this game bring a strong sense of cultural diversity and unity. Students connect with the fact that at the beginning the adults did not necessarily believe in them. And for anyone who has dreamed big you will always have doubters. Students connect with the feel-good ending...even if you do not win, you know the journey was worth it. The camaraderie, teamwork that is built along the way, and the community fill us with a sense of pride. 

2. Classroom Discussion Questions

Here are some great classroom discussion questions that you can use with The Floating Field.

Why was having a soccer field so important? 

What obstacles did the boys face?

How did teamwork solve problems? 

How did the setting affect the story?

What would you have done differently? 

How does this story connect to the World Cup? 

3. Cross Curricular Connections

This book is a great book to use and making connections across the curriculum. Here's some ideas for connecting this book to different subject areas. 

Reading- 

Focus in on the following during and after reading.

Character traits 

Main idea 

Setting 

Theme

Text evidence 

Character analysis: changes over time 

Read biographies about famous soccer players

Writing-

Create a soccer trading card about a famous player. 

Science-

Floating and sinking- 

I love to do an experiment with a floating and sinking egg. You start by putting an egg in plain water and notice that it sinks. And then you add salt to the water and that makes the egg float. Students can use this activity to practice the scientific method.

Density-

Another activity I like to do with this book is to create a floating rainbow density table. Basically you have different cups of water with different colors for the rainbow in each cup. Then you mix in differing amounts of sugar, in each cup, to create different densities. Then you pour the same amount of liquid from each cup into a graduated cylinder starting with the densest color first, red, and working your way up to the least dense color last. And then your students will be able to see a rainbow of color that is not mixing. It just blows their minds. Again, I use this to reinforce the scientific method

STEM-

This is a crowd favorite in my classroom. Students use recyclables to create their own miniature floating soccer field. We test the fields in a bucket of water and celebrate our wins.

Geography 

Map skills- 

Find Thailand on a map. Students can even create a map of this country and pinpoint the floating city on the map. 

Weather:

Compare and contrast the average tempreatures in Thailand to the temperatures in your own location. 

Learn about the culture of Thailand through videos, nonfiction books, as well as food or entertainment. 

Math

Graphing-

Students could graph the weather data that they learned in the geography section. 

Measurement-

Measure the weight each floating field in the STEM project can hold without sinking.

Compare the length and width of different soccer fields.

Have a soccer kickoff and measure the length of each student's kicks. 

Factors in Multiples-

Students could find all the possible arrangements for floating platforms of different sizes. 

Elapsed Time-

Students could find the elapsed time for various soccer matches. They could calculate arrival times based on the time that it takes to get to the game. They could calculate how long halftime is. 

Multiplication-

Students could build arrays based on number of players on a team. For a more advanced take, they could calculate the total number of bamboo poles or floating barrels are needed to build the field. Students could find the number of people in a stadium, given the seats in each section and the number of sections. You could give them some multiplication soccer-themed word problems or task cards. 

Fractions-

Students could figure out things like:

If 3/8 of the field is underwater, what fraction is playable?

What fraction of the spectators are cheering for each team?

Geometry-

Find right, acute, and obtuse angels in a soccer field diagram.

SEL-

Have students do some goal setting. This works especially well at the beginning of the year or in January.

Work on soft skills with your students like cooperation, problem solving, and determination. 

4. Extend the Learning with a Soccer Activity

After reading the book, it was a natural slide into activities with a soccer theme. My students were still all-in. 

The activities that I chose reinforced important grade-level skills. Not only that, but they are relatively easy to prep. And they are perfect for using during or after the World Cup. 

STEM Activity:

Reading comprehension, goal setting, & soccer player trading cards 

Floating Field STEM activity

Goal Setting

Soccer player trading cards

Floating and sinking experiment following the scientific process

Floating Rainbow activity following the scientific process

If you are looking for a companion activity guide to go with the book The Floating Field, look no further. This resource will save you the time and trouble of creating your own activities...and we all know how busy teachers are. You can pick this unit up right now by clicking here.

How Summer Travel Makes me a Better Teacher

Can a road trip make someone a better teacher? I would argue that yes it can! Every place a teacher travels is not just a lesson in science, history, or the arts but also in curiosity, resilience, and the joy of leaning. Lessons like these do not stay on vacation.  They come right into the classroom with you.

Summer travels remind me what it means to be a learner again. Learning lessons of the history of our great nation on location at actual sites where history happened is the best type of learning. Exploring places and people that make this country what it is today is life changing.

The places I visit morph into stories and examples of real places and lessons that bring learning to life. They are a gentle reminder that learning  happens outside of the classroom on adventures traveling through this amazing country.

As yet another school year approaches, I am grateful for the lessons my travels have taught me. Even after my suitcase is unpacked, the memories and inspiration I have gained along the way will travel with me into my classroom. I want to use these experiences to install a spirit of curiosity and adventure. I want to encourage my students to be explorers in the great 50 states and beyond. 

10 Things Teachers Secretly do During Summer Break (and I know you do them too)

Has this ever happened to you? You promise yourself to step away from the classroom all summer and not think about it again...but actually doing it? If.you are anything like me, you find yourself doing little things all summer that help you get either physically or mentally ready for next year. If you've ever done any of these over the summer...you're human...and you might be a teacher.

1. Walk through the school supply aisle...just to look, and you end up really excited, maybe even throw a few things in your cart.

2. Start 10 new projects...and finish two.

3. Read a professional development book...just for fun.

4. Say, "I'm not thinking about school!" ...while actually thinking about school.

5. Watch some kids in the next lane at the bowling alley and think, "I'm so glad that one isn't in my class!"

6. Plan out new unit ideas while your husband drives you around. 

7. Going to a craft store sparks a thousand ideas for classroom decor or transformations.

8. Saving social media posts (of classroom ideas) to look back on in August.

9. Counting down the days left until you head back to school. 

10. That trip to the bookstore always ends up with you in the children's department.

I'm just a teacher over here trying to enjoy a little me time....and thoughts of my classroom just keep butting in. Happy summer...whatever that means for you.

How to Set up Math Centers Before Students Ever Walk Through the Door

Have you ever spent the entire first month of school teaching your class procedures instead of math? With a little preparation before school begins, you can save yourself hours and hours later. You CAN have centers ready before students arrive and you can do it all from your couch while binge-watching your favorite show on Netflix. 

1. Decide on Your Math Center Structure First

Here are some things to think about if you are wondering what structure you want to use.

• How many centers will your students rotate between?
• How often will centers rotate?
• How many students will be in each group?
• Will centers be independent, teacher-led, or partner based

Here is an example structure that I love to use in my classroom.

I chose these math centers:

1. Independent math: This is a spiral review worksheet & then they could work on a color by math skill page (there are a lot of free ones online...I just search for free color by number 3-digit addition or whatever skill I am focusing on...which is usually a repeat of the skill from the previous unit so they can be more independent and keep reviewing.

2. Online math: This is a math app that we are required to have our students use

3. Grow in math: I used my teacher's aide to have students work on review or extension skills

These are the ones for every day. My students do four centers for 15 minutes each every day. You may be thinking, but that just adds up to 3 centers, and you would be right! (Great math, by the way!) My students have one extra rotation and they will do one of the following math centers every day, but it will be a different one every day Monday-Thursday and we do not do centers on Friday. Here's what they rotate through:

1. Math games: students play math games that focus on a skill from the previous unit if possible

2. Math facts: students will work on math facts through games and/or speed drills

3. Math around the room: math task cards are set up around the room and students love this because they can get up and walk around 

4. Read about math: I love collecting books that tie in to the different units of study in math. Students spend some time reading these stories

Keep your structure simple during the first month as you practice routines.

2. Organize Your Math Center Materials

I have two of those three-drawer  storage units that I use. In one set, I put extra games and the students stay out of that set. In the other set, I place games that they can currently choose from and rotate them from the other set of drawers when it is time to use them. I teach multi-grade, so I have one bin for each grade level and their games are in their drawer. I train them as to which drawer is theirs. If you do not have multi-grades in your class I would suggest a color system for each drawer (for differentiating) and that could be for high learners (extension games), on-level learners, and struggling learners with more remedial games. Or you could use one drawer for each month of the quarter and work ahead and have three months prepped at a time, rotating the games up to the top drawer when it is time to use them (if you are not differentiating).

Make sure that each game includes whatever you need so that you will not be interrupted.

• Directions
• All game pieces
• Answer keys
• Dice or spinners

Pencils or white board markers

3. Prepare Student Groups Ahead of Time

Some things to consider when getting groups ready are:

• Student ability level
• Personalities of your students
• Behavior needs

Create a list of your groups. Make a rotation chart (this will save your sanity). Have a backup plan if something is not working out. You can just expect that you will have to make adjustments after the first week, once you see how the flow goes and how the students work together. 

4. Create Center Expectations

Be sure to teach your students:

• Voice levels: This is a time when you should be free to teach small groups and too much noise can be a huge distraction.
• Movement procedures: When the are rotating between centers, how should they change? Are they going to leave the game scattered or place it back in the drawer? Are they going to walk or run and shove? Trust me when I say, you will need some practice with this, but setting firm expectations is helpful. And, be sure to stick to your expectations, if you let anything slide, it's over...have and keep high expectations.
• What to do when finished: If a student finishes at their center, what is the expectation? Are they moving automatically to the next one? Should they play that game again? Should they go and chat with a friend or poke them with their pencil? You need to plan for everything. Or your students will do what they want because you did not give them that expectation.
• How will they ask for help: I would suggest that you train them well so that they have a good idea on how to do the activity and having them work on center work that is one unit behind usually helps them know the skills better, but under no circumstances (ok, maybe if the school is on fire or someone is bleeding profusely) should they interrupt your small group. They need to have another go-to person in the class that they can ask for help. That may be a teacher's aide (if you are one of the lucky ones) or maybe you have a couple of students leaders (these should be your high-achieving math kids so they can actually help in times of need).

Create visuals:

• Anchor charts can be invaluable tools for helping students remember math processes.
• Posters of math facts or skills are also helpful.
• Procedure cards can help students remember what they should do at each center and what to do if they finish up early. A couple of great things for early finishers is having a table out with a puzzle going on it. I like 100, 300, or 500 piece puzzles...building on as the year goes along. You could also use extreme dot-to-dots which go way beyond the 100.

Remember, the most important thing you can do for your sanity, and that of your students', is to practice the expectations and procedures before you expect independence.

5. Build Student Independence

Create systems so that your students will not need you for every single question. Here's some ways you can build that independence your students need to be successful:

• Make sure your games and activities have direction cards.
• Have example problems where students can see the process.
• Use QR codes for directions.
• Let them get support from other students when they still need more support

The goal for centers is for them to run independently even when you are in small groups.

6. Prepare for Accountability

Students should have some way to show what they are learning. Here are a few ways to successfully do that:

• Recording sheets can become documented evidence of student learning.
• Math journals are another way that students can show their thinking and what they know.
• Exit tickets are a quick way for students to give you one example or explanation.
• Digital submissions would be a fun way for students to show you their learning.
• Quick teacher check-ins are more informal, but provide a powerful punch if you can swing it time-wise.

Accountability will help to keep your students focused and provides valuable assessment data for you (don't forget that everything you do should be driven by data to best move kids forward).

7. Start Small

Don't try to launch six or eight centers at once on day one. Instead:

• Introduce just one center at a time and practice it thoroughly. 
• Model exactly what you expect and keep those expectations tight.
• Practice rotations with your students and practice the clean up process. 
• Reflect and adjust on what is going well and what is not...do not release your students into the center world too early. 

Building your center routines slowly and with intention leads to long-term success.

Conclusion

Successful math centers begin long before the first student arrives at your door on the first day of school. With clear organization, strong procedures, and purposeful planning, your centers can become one of the most productive parts of your math block. 

 

If you are looking for some center games to get your class started, I have so many to choose from, but here are some of our favorites. 

Rounding Centers

Place Value Centers

Addition Centers

Subtraction Centers

Multiplication Centers

Division Centers

Fraction Centers

Engaging Math Block Ideas that Keep Students Excited About Learning

Last school year, I really focused on creating an engaging math block, one that would get my students excited about learning. Here's a look at what I am going to do again and what I am going to add next year for even more engagement.

Keep Engaging Students and Building Math Review Through Math Center Stations

I began with a set of centers in mind and started adding and creating things to make those centers a reality. I want to keep doing that. Last summer I worked on creating 5 themes for my math block and I kept running with that throughout the year. I created a few center game sets that would pair nicely with some of those themes. I want to finish off those math center games so that I have one for each theme. 

 Here's a look at the center games for my Multiplication Carnival/Circus theme.

Here's a look at one of the games for my Place Value Safari math centers theme.

Keep Engaging Students Through Math Escape Rooms

These were a hit with my class. I created 5 themed math escape rooms, one for place value, and the other four for the four basic math operations. My students kept asking for more. So, I am hoping to create even more to go with standards like area/perimeter, data, geometry, etc. These were perfect to do at the end of a unit as a review before the test. Students had built enough knowledge to be equipped to work through the challenges.

Here's a peek at a few of the activities in my Place Value Safari escape room.

These three different levels of activities are included in my Dive-iding Down Under themed escape room.

This space-themed addition escape room was a lot of fun, especially when students earned Star Bucks they could use at the Galactic Cafe'.

These were from my Fraction Math Mystery. 

Keep Engaging Students Through Fact Practice

I created a file for each multiplication fact. Inside the file are games and quizzes for students to practice the fact set they are currently learning. They could practice with a friend, or they could even do some of the games and activities independently. 

Multiplication Dots & Boxes game gets students focused on just one set of facts at a time. 

Multiplication Draw & Trace can be played with a partner, or with a one-minute timer alone.

Keep Engaging Students Through Project Based Learning in our Math Block

I purchased a PBL for math and it was highly engaging for many of my students. They wanted me to purchase additional ones, which sadly I did not do. However, I have visions of creating my own PBL units for math standards that will go directly with my math block themes. That way I can have a cohesive product line that I can use in my classroom that not only has escape rooms and math centers, but also has math PBLs as well. I hope I can get a couple of those done over the summer. 

If you are interested in spicing up your math block too, you can click the links below the pictures to be taken to those products. You could even check out my full store by clicking this link as well.