Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Third and Fourth Graders Are Learning Basic Mulitplication Facts

     When I was a third grader learning multiplication facts, I had trouble getting all those numbers straight in my head. I struggled and struggled to remember them. Then, for three nights in a row, I was sent to my room to write down each fact: 1 x 0 = 0, 1 x 1 = 1, 1 x 2 = 2, and I did this over and over and OVER until I had finally memorized them. Now that I am a teacher, I think "There MUST be a better way..."


     Please come back to our site often in the next week or so. Hopefully the students will do a better job than I did!

Please comment! What are ways you learned your multiplication facts or "times tables" (as we used to call them)? Are there any tricks or shortcuts you used?  

11 comments:

  1. Dear Mr.Pahl
    I think your poem that you wrote will help me alot because I memorized your poem.That was also a funny way you did it.
    Sincerely
    STAR

    ReplyDelete
  2. Dear Mr. Pahl,
    Well for 1 I love the video!!!! And for 2 I can't wait to leran fun ways to learn your multiplication easyer! from Silly band

    ReplyDelete
  3. 9x0=0
    I like my hero
    9x1=9
    I very fine
    9x2=18
    my brother is a teen
    9x3=27
    I am almost 11
    9x4=36
    I like a lot of pixysticks
    9x5=45
    I don'tlike a big hive
    9x6=54
    I like my shiny door
    9x7=63
    I have a dirty knee
    9x8=72
    I think I need to eat too
    9x9=81
    I'd like to have some fun
    9x10=90
    I think my foot is tiny
    9x11=99
    I want to climb a vine
    9x12=108
    I think I might fant
    From,
    Superstar

    ReplyDelete
  4. Dear Mr.Pahl,

    I LOVE THIS VIDEO. IT MEANS A LOT TO ME. We worked a lot on it.

    From, Superstar

    ReplyDelete
  5. Dear Room 12,
    I have spent the last two days learning some fantastic writing ideas with other teachers, but I have missed my Sunnyland kids. My math students will be learning some neat multiplication strategies over the next month. I will share some ideas with you soon!
    P.S. The 4th grader in my house is also working on using his multiplication facts efficiently too. Maybe will have tips to share with all of us too!
    Mrs. S

    ReplyDelete
  6. Mr. Pahl,
    I loved your video. If your teaching gig doesn't work out, you could have an amazing career in the music industry! I have always learned best by "seeing" and that's how I learned my multiplication facts. I looked for patterns. It also helped to count by 3's and 4's etc. Then there's the 9 trick you do with your fingers-that really works! The "School House Rock" video on multiplication was also a great help...Zero, My Hero (don't get me started!) Good luck on those facts, 3rd and 4th graders-I use multiplication every day of my life and you will too, so work hard to learn them! On a different subject, I need a good book to read this weekend...let me know if you have any ideas.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Mr. Pahl,

    How inspiring your video is! I wish I had you for a teacher at that age and I believe we had the same 3rd grade teacher!

    Math is essential and if you can help your students learn with rhymes, even raps(!) then they've learned a tool that will last them a life time.

    I agree with Mrs. Feemster, visual tools are the best! Keep up the good work and inspiring your students.

    Nuttin but love for ya and appreciation for the job that you do.!

    Sincerely,

    Dawn (Mr. Pahl's "adopted" older sister lol)

    ReplyDelete
  8. Dear Mr. Pahl and the room 12 kids,

    First of all, thank you for welcoming me into your class. Kids, I hope you know how lucky you are to have such a great teacher in Mr. Pahl. And Mr. Pahl, I hope you know that you are 25 times luckier to have all those great students.

    I have to admit that I learned my times tables because of ice cream. In my school, Birchwood Elementary, we took timed multiplication quizzes and the kids who passed the one they were working on got to have an ice cream cup on Friday. I can't remember any strategy we used other than memorization but we all worked really hard for that ice cream!

    Keep up the good work and I hope to see you all again soon.

    Sincerely,

    Angie Smartt

    P.S. Oh, and Zero, My Hero, and 3 is a Magic Number are my two favorite math-School House Rock songs!

    ReplyDelete
  9. 8x0 is 0 I am my hero
    8x1 is 8 I went to outer space
    8x2 is 16 that guy is really clean
    8x3 is 24 lets do some more
    8x4 is 32 what is really new
    8x5 is 40 pigs are porky
    8x6 is 48 ate all the food on my plate
    8x7 is 56 you have sixty sticks
    8x8 is 64 don’t want to do any more
    8x9 is 72 that’s a fact I never knew
    8x10 is 80 who is that lady
    8x11 is 88 now it’s time to celebrate
    8x12 is 96 you made a crazy mix!

    Sincerely,
    Cycle Star

    ReplyDelete
  10. 0x6=0 Huver is a hero
    1x6=6 The chicken had too many chicks
    2x6=12 are you the elves
    3x6=18 I'm on a big team
    4x6=24 I went to the store to buy some more 5x6=30 love that little birdie
    6x6=36 the door needs to be fixed
    7x6=42 tie your shoe
    8x6=48 lick the plate
    9x6=54 shut the door
    10x6=60 fog is kind of misty
    11x6=66 mix it
    12x6=72 Boo!

    From, Bugman

    ReplyDelete
  11. Dear Mr. Pahl, That video was funny and a good learning source accept kids might not take you seriously. I am glad that our blog might go viral!
    sincerely,
    Puppy Dogs

    ReplyDelete

We love it when you leave us a comment!

Please be sure your comment is interesting for others to read and that it somehow adds to the conversation. Be sure to read it after you type it. Does it say what you want it to say? Is it correctly written and spelled?

Please use ONLY your first name when commenting. You may also tell us where you are from or whether you know someone in our class. Examples: From, John, Mr. Pahl's friend, or From, Dawn, Nik's mom, or Sincerely, Mary, a student in Mr. Salsich's class.

Just below the Comment Box is a drop down menu. Select "Anonymous" from the choices; it is the last choice on the list. Then click "Post Comment." In order for your comment to be approved and posted, you should see a message highlighted in yellow that says "Your comment will appear after moderation." If you see a red line after you click Post Comment, your comment did not go through for some reason. Try it again until you see the message highlighted in yellow.

Thank you!