Hints for Learning Simple Multiplication

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A girl recently asked for some help multiplying.

Professor Homunculus replied:

I have lots of questions to ask you, but first, here is something you can do right away to help you learn multiplication by 2, 3 and 4:

Get out a deck of cards. Make sure they are all (52) there. Now count them by twos. If you end up saying “fifty-two,” and have no cards left, you got it right.

Now try by threes. If you end up saying “Fifty-one”, and have one left over at the end, you got it right again.

Now try by fours. If you end up at “fifty-two” and have none left over, you’re right again.

Now do that over and over. Always count by twos, threes, and fours, no matter what you are counting from now on.

If you get a group of coins, like pennies, as change, count them by threes.

If you have to count the amount of kids in a class, count by threes or twos.

And so on.

Actually counting things in groups is a lot better than looking at tables, and parroting them back.

If you really want a great way to learn to multiply very fast and easily, consider getting a copy of “Numbers Juggling - Times without the Tables.”

You can find a link to it on the right-hand side of each page of these Math Mojo Chronicles.

Also, have you checked out MathMojo.com? Go there and click on the link for “speed multiplication by 11 and 12″. (It’s down the page a bit).

Then, check out:
http://www.squidoo.com/multiplication/
It will teach a cool multiplication trick, but you’ll only be able to do it if you first learn (and practice) what you learn at the “speed multiplication by 11 and 12″ link, above.

You are actually in luck. Recently a new book came out, and I have to say, it is a great book for girls to learn math from.
It’s called “Math Doesn’t Suck,” and it was written by an actress who is also (of all things) a mathematician. It’s a pretty awesome book.

Now for my questions:

How are you at addition? How are you at your other subjects in school? How are you with sports? Do you practice anything regularly (a sport, musical instrument, game?)

When you wrote the comment, were you aware of your misspellings and grammar mistakes? I’m not asking to judge you, just for info for how to help you.

Any answers to those questions will help me figure out how to help you better.

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