This was the way I taught my sons to learn their multiplication tables at 5 and 6 years. They could recite them forwards and reversed to 23X and beyond just by recognising the patterns in this simple formula rather than drawing the traditional times table and learning them off by heart. At least this way they got to understand the patterns in numbers, which I am sure has helped them to recognise other patterns, particularly patterns in music and language.
No one ever taught me this method of simple multiplication and I have not seen it anywhere since though would not be surprised to find it being taught elsewhere. I was helping the boys do multiplication when the patterns jumped out at me, so got them to see the patterns and write them down without having to think higher that reducing a number by 4 and increasing a number by 2.
Multiplication and patterns. (A different way to teach multiplication)
Think of the number 10
Think of the number 9 in relation to the number 10, it is 1 down from number 10
So the pattern will be the left column goes up 1 and the right column drops down 1
If it were the number 7 then the right column would drop down 3 and the left column would go up 1 except when the previous number permits 7 to be added without pushing the left column up 1 like after the number 70
If it were the number 29 being multiplied then the right column would drop by 1 and the left column would go up 2
And the number 10 would have a stagnant 0 in the right column and go up by 1 in the left column.
9
18
27
36
45
54
63
72
81
90
99
108
9X Formula 1 up 1 down
7X Formula 1 up 3 down
This made learning for them very enjoyable. At the age of 7 and 8 I got them a pitman typing tutor for the commodore 67 computer and rewarded them with £15.00 each for completing the course, learning myself and my wife to type quickly and accurately into the bargain. They both play the guitar. My eldest is currently travelling around the world started in Thailand, can now speak and write fluent Thai having taught English there for 18 months the last time he went travelling. This time he has travelled to Malaysia, Indonesia, Komodo Islands, Krakatoa, Heading to Bali now and planning to work in Australia for a year or more and says it is very easy to learn the language in Indonesia. My youngest is in the building trade planning to develop properties.
Andrew K Fletcher
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