Multiplication Grid continues...

Big salty crocodile tears splashed onto the table top.  Our young mathematician was deeply defeated the other day. His comment:  "I hate being wrong.  I can't make my numbers go right."

That is a common problem for many visual spatial learners and a stumbling block to feelings of success in school and at home when doing homework.

Note the 36 and 63 in the 9's column

As you can imagine, the two numbers look as similar and as confusing to him as if the answer to 4 x 9 and 6 x 9 were the same number!  He struggled and finally the big tears landed on the table.  We talked about everything he did know and all that he could do.  We also spent some time practicing the 9's tables with the techniques below.

Multiply 9's by bending the multiplying finger...

4 x 9 = 36 Thus 3 fingers on left and 6 to the right of finger 4

This was a fun exercise but our student preferred the method below:

This student finds patterns quickly and noted the above with triumph

In the photo above, before I could finish writing, the student exclaimed: "I get it.  It just goes backward!"  He then explained easily how to arrive at the answers for the 9's table. 

Below is a brief video where he explains how to multiply any number above ten times eleven.

 

He explains that the factor 12 in 11 x 12 is split apart and then added.  The result, 3, is placed in between the split factor 12.  The answer is 132.

In addition to the above activities, we clapped, counted and sang.  I'll close this entry with links to some of our favorite School House Rock multiplication songs:
3's
My Hero Zero
7's
8's