Multiplication tables can be a real pain to teach and consolidate. While we know there are lots of ways to give children strategies to learn tables, there is nothing less motivating that a whole-class drill in tables.
Multiplication.com is without doubt one of the most excellent web sites I have ever come across for consolidating multiplication tables. What seemed to have started off as a load of links to existing drill-and-practice sites, Multiplication.com has started to develop its own games and most of them are absolutely brilliant. My class love Beach Run. They must answer 20 multiple choice tables then they get to play a game as a reward. They also love Snowball Fight and Cone Crazy.
In a classroom with two computers, I can have 4 children fully engaged together on the machines in a rota. I sometimes use this site for early finishers too. If a child, (and there are quite a few), who just don’t bother learning their tables at home, sending this web site home can turn it around as they like the games.
Behind all the games are some pedagogical tips on teaching tables, which outline strategies for teachers. I was heartened to see that they understand that rote-learning is seen as the least effective way of teaching tables. There are also downloadable and printable worksheets. They also seem to be peddling a book to help teach tables too. However, there doesn’t seem to be any pressure to buy the book from the web site no matter how often you play the games. I would put this web site down as a must for 3rd/4th class pupils.
Last Update: August 9, 2017