Teaching tables is quite a scary task for parents. Fortunately for me, my kids have learned them quite fast all the tables. Yet, constant revision has been the key to memorize the tables.

So here I am with the secret of their table mugging success.

The first thing they have to do is to sit down and write down the entire table of the number on a sheet of paper.
Then they have to read it aloud at least for 5 times. The reason is very simple for this reading. Our brain finds anything that is new, difficult! All the parts of the body need to be involved with all the attention to really begin to like something unknown and difficult. And hence when they read the table 5 times loudly, their eyes, their ears and their brain are all actively absorbing the numbers. So the visual memory and the sound memory together make a better impression in the brain to become familiar with the entire set of numbers within a few minutes.

Then they need to start saying aloud the tables from the start. Anytime, they stutter or forget, they have to restart the entire table from the beginning. Invariably, by the time they reach the last number, they have memorized the entire table.

But this is just the beginning.

I ask them to tell me the table in the reverse order.
Yes 13 X 12 , 13 X 11 and so on till 13 X 1.

After they have successfully told me the above sequence, they have to start by telling me the table only for the odd numbers from the first number.
eg. 13 X 1, 13 X 3, …13 x 11

Next they have to repeat it for the even numbers.
eg. 13 X 2, 13 X 4, ….13 X 12

Then the odd and even in the reverse order.
eg 13 X 11, 13 X 9….
eg 13X 12, 13 X 10…

And finally I ask them randomly. At this stage it is mostly a quiz time between my two boys.

Try it. They start with a crib, but end up feeling really happy and proud to have memorized the entire table.

From this month I have added a new twist to the table learning process.

They have to learn the tables till 14 as it is 2014. 🙂
And they have to tell me the table of the date today.
Today it is 17’s table.