Naked Science Forum
General Science => General Science => Topic started by: Andrew K Fletcher on 25/06/2008 08:31:24
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Thought this might be a good place to post this as it might help teachers to generate some interest in maths.
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 Left column up right column down
27
36
45
54
63
72
81
90
99 left column remains same right column 1 down from 10
108 Left Column
9X Formula 1 up 1 down
7X Formula 1 up 3 down
This made learning for them very enjoyable. At the ages 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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K Flecher,
I like this I hope you don't mind me coping it and using it on my grandchild
Regards
Alan
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Not at all Alan feel free to use as you like. Children really like the patterns and find them fun rather than boring old times table charts. But it does much more in years to come because subconciously the child has learned to recognise all kinds of patterns and I am sure it is why my son picks up languages quickly. View it as a kind of brain training exercise using it for about 30 minutes a day to begin with. Before you know it your gradchild will be racing ahead of you :)
K Flecher,
I like this I hope you don't mind me coping it and using it on my grandchild
Regards
Alan
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Thought this might be a good place to post this as it might help teachers to generate some interest in maths.
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 Left column up right column down
27
36
45
54
63
72
81
90
99 left column remains same right column 1 down from 10
108 Left Column
9X Formula 1 up 1 down
7X Formula 1 up 3 down
This made learning for them very enjoyable. At the ages 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
I am an Indonesian and I used this method when I was a first grader. I didn't know if there were any of my classmates who used this though, since our teacher didn't teach about this method. I just kept reading the multiplication poster in my class wall and realized the pattern by myself.
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I just kept reading the multiplication poster in my class wall and realized the pattern by myself.
Good for you!
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If it were the number 29 being multiplied then the right column would drop by 1 and the left column would go up 2
Not sure I understand this. drop right by 1 gives you 8. increase left by 2 gives you 4. so 2 x 29 = 48? I think not.
Please explain!
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For multiplication by 9: hold up all ten fingers, then hold down the fourth if you want to multiply by 4. Count the fingers to the left of it (3), then count the fingers to the right of it (6).
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Really liked the explanation.