My Best Advice For Learning Multiplication

Learning times tables is a great opportunity to teach kids about goals. Make and print your own worksheets, time and track progress. See Math Fast Facts Challenge for free time test builders and description on how we practice in our class.

Math Facts is 95% rote memory that kids need to just memorize here some of our class's favorite Fast Facts Tips & Tricks.

Bottom line is practice, practice, practice. Make it a daily habit, 15 minutes on the kitchen table every day for 1-3 months now will establish a strong math foundation for the rest of their life.
There a lot of great workbooks to help with the practice, here are some of mine.

The National Library of Virtual Manipulatives

The National Library of Virtual Manipulatives (NLVM) is an NSF supported project that began in 1999 to develop a library of uniquely interactive, web-based virtual manipulatives or concept tutorials, mostly in the form of Java applets, for mathematics instruction (K-12 emphasis). The project includes dissemination and extensive internal and external evaluation.

Click here to go to the NLVM

Online Geoboard Activity

Click here for online interactive geoboard activities from the National Library of Virtual Manipulatives one of my favorite math sites.

Fraction Standards for Our Next Unit

N.ME.05.09 Understand percentages as parts out of 100, use % notation, and express a part of a
whole as a percentage.

N.ME.05.10 Understand a fraction as a statement of division, e.g., 2 ÷ 3 = 2/3, represent simple fractions with pictures.

N.ME.05.11 Given two fractions, express them as equivalent fractions with a common denominator, but not necessarily a least common denominator, e.g., 1/2 = 4/8 and 3/4 = 6/8; use denominators less than 12, or factors of 100.

N.FL.05.12 Find the product of two unit fractions with small denominators, using area model.

N.FL.05.13 Divide a fraction by a whole number and a whole number by a fraction, using simple unit fractions.

N.FL.05.14 Add and subtract fractions with unlike denominators of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 and 100, using the common denominator that is the product of the denominators of the 2 fractions, e.g., 3/8 + 7/10 = ((3x10)+(7x8))/80 = (30+56) ÷ 80 = 86/80.

N.MR.05.19 Solve word problems that involve finding sums and differences of fractions with unlike denominators using knowledge of equivalent fractions.

N.FL.05.20 Solve applied problems involving fractions and decimals; include rounding of answers and checking reasonableness; use examples involving money.

N.MR.05.21 Solve for the unknown in such equations as: 1/4 + x = 7/12.

Weather and Fractions Power Points

Power Point Presentations are a great resource for studying. Do you know you can find free power points with Google by typing in a concept for keywords and ".ppt" into the search?

For example if you want to find Power Point Presentations about weather I would type in

"weather .ppt"

into google search.

Or you can look through a great directory form Pete's Power Point Station

I have found a good section here for Weather and here for Fractions that you can download, open, view, print, and study from.

Great Workbooks to Practice for the High Stakes Tests

In the age of high stakes test, the pressure to achieve has been put on our students and teachers. Parents you can help your child succeed by having your child regularly take practice tests at home. Learning how to take and beat tests is an essential skill for our students to master at an early age. I always tell the students "Right now you have to beat the MEAP test to get through elementary school, next it will be the ACT/SAT to compete for scholarships and college admissions, then the GRE for graduate school, or the LCAT for law school, or the MCAT for med school. Get use to these high stakes test because there are a bunch more to come."

I have found a list of some good standardized practice test books that would be great practice for students on a light homework night, a lazy weekend, or boring summer day. And as some of my students this year have taught me you don't have to stick to the grade that you are in, we have students challenging themselves already with 5th-8th grade reading and math tests.

Click here for a list of standardized practice test books.

Division Club

Here are the members of the division club.
You need to do all 50 questions correctly under 2 minutes

NL0708
GM0708
RW0708
LM0708 * Fastest Time at 45 seconds!
TD0708
JJ0708
BH0708
JL0708
AB0708
BM0708
SL0708
JS0708
MP0708
MJW0708
CJ0708
MS0708
LS0708
MR0708
MDR0708

Multipication Club

Here are the members of the multiplication club.
50 questions in less than 2 minuntes:

AB0708
JL0708
GM0708
MP0708
JJ0708
SB0708
LM0708
TD0708
RW0708 *Fastest time at 59 seconds
BM0708
KH0708
MJW0708
CJ0708
JS0708
MS0708
NL0708
MDR0708
MR0708
CM0708
ES0708

Great Workbooks Practice For Math

Some parents have been asking me for some additional resources that I recommend for them to purchase in order to support math practice at home. I have found a good list of math skills workbooks you can buy online. It has a wide range of grades, so if your student is below grade level you can drop down and if your student is already at grade level I recommend getting a higher grade for a challenge.

These workbooks are great for extra practice on a light homework night, weekends, vacations, and especially over the summer.

Click here or to see a list of math workbooks that you can buy through Amazon.

Learning Fast Facts Tips & Tricks

Put together by NL0708

Why are fast facts important. It is very important to know your fast facts.By the time you are in third grade you should have them down pack.So here are some tips and tricks by our class about fast facts!

"My best tip is to practice each fact and all of the tricks.'' by TD0708

''To study go to multiplication. com'' by MP0708

Practice as long as you can then do math facts in 2minutes.'' by MJW0708

''Write out your times tables and say them as you are writing them.'' by LN0708.

"I practice for about 40minutes with my parents." by KH0708

''Ask your mom to test you for 20minutes'' by DF0708

''I use a stopwatch and use old math fact test and test myself'' by AB0708

''Show a younger or older sibling multiplication so you can study'' by NL0708

''Rewrite my fast facts'' by JJ0708

''Study with an older or younger sibling'' by GM0708

''Write multiplication over and over again'' by RW0708

''Use flashcards to study'' by MJW0708


''I never liked math but when I studied I tried my best and I got my time test & learned that I do not know 9x8 but I know 8x9 it is just reversed 8x9 & 9x8 is 72 it is the same answer it is just reversed.''CM0708

''For eights you need to know is your fours it is just double double.'' by DD0708

''If you have troubles in nines time tables all you have to do is go down in the tens column & up in the ones column''By RW0708

Do you have more tips and tricks you would like to share? Post them in the comments below.

Unit 4 Math Test

Here are the GLCE's (What are GLCE's?) for our Every Day Math Unit 4 on Division. Use these as a guide to study for our test on Wed 12/19 (see We Have a Class Calendar for other test). Remember if you find a good online resources (game, video, or website) post in the comments to share with other classmates.

N.MR.05.01 Understand the meaning of division of whole numbers, with and without remainders; relate division to fractions and to repeated subtraction.

N.MR.05.02 Relate division of whole numbers with remainders to the form a = bq + r, e.g., 34 ÷ 5 =6 r 4, so 5 * 6 + 4 = 30; note remainder 4 is less than divisor.

M.MR.05.03 Write mathematical statements involving division for given situation.

N.MR.05.05 Solve applied problems involving multiplication and division of whole numbers

N.FL.05.06 Divide fluently up to a four-digit number by a two-digit number.

N.ME.05.10 Understand a fraction as a statement of division, e.g., 2 ÷ 3 = 2/3, represent simple
fractions with pictures.

See Also
Our Class Wiki Notebook Chapter 4 Division Notes

Unit 3 Math Test

Here are the GLCE's (What are GLCE's?) for our Every Day Math Unit 3 Geometry Unit. Use these as a guide to study for our test on Tues 12/4 (see We Have a Class Calendar for other test). Remember if you find a good online resources (game, video, or website) post in the comments to share with other classmates.

G.TR.05.01 Associate an angle with a certain amount of turning; know that angles are measured in degrees; understand that 90°, 180°, 270°, and 360° are associated, respectively, with 1/4, 1/2, and 3/4 and full turns.

G.GS.05.02 Measure angles with a protractor and classify them as acute, right, obtuse or straight.

G.GS.05.03 Identify and name angles on a straight line and vertical angles.

G.GS.05.04 Find unknown angles in problems involving angles on a straight line, angles surrounding a point and vertical angles.

G.GS.05.05 Know that angles on a straight line add up to 180° and angles surrounding a point add up to 360°; justify informally by “surrounding” a point with angles.

G.GS.05.06 Understand why the sum of the interior angles of a triangle is 180° and the sum of the interior angles of a quadrilateral is 360°, and use these properties to solve problems.

G.GS.05.07 Find unknown angles and sides using the properties of: triangles, including right,
isosceles, equilateral triangles; parallelograms, including rectangles and rhombuses; and
trapezoids.

See Also:
Our Wiki Chapter 3 Geometry Notes

Mathcast: Multiplying Decimals Using the Lattice Method

Our first Mathcast!

presented by TD0708
recorded by BH0708

Math Fast Facts Challenge

From now until the end of October the 5th grade has begun a multiplication fast fact challenge. The standard is 50 out 50 multipication facts (1-12 times tables) under 2 minutes. We will be taking fast fact quizzes every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Once the student has achieved this 3 times in a row they can move on to the next challenge - 50 out 50 division facts in less than 2 minutes. Last year we spent a lot of time building these reflexes up, it should just take a couple days of brushing off and refreshing these facts back up to speed. It is crucial that we master these basic facts right away since we are moving quickly into more complicated topics (like prime factorization) that assume a mastery of multiplication. If the students don't know their multiplication times table they will quickly fall behind. My two favorite math websites for parents and students to make their own worksheets and timed test plus loads of onlines games are http://mathfactcafe.com/at http://themathworksheetsite.com/. Parents and students please comment below and add your favorite websites, tricks, and tips.