Mastering multiplication Tables is a critical turning point in a child's education. Because math builds on itself, a failure to master the multiplication tables will keep them from conquering all their future mathematic challenges. Without these core math skills, children will quickly fall behind, causing them to permanently label themselves as "bad at math" or decide they "hate math."
The problem, of course, is that multiplication tables are tough. Very tough. And the tools we get to tackle this challenge are extremely ineffective. The most effective tool is still a plain old deck of flash cards. Night after night after night. Flash cards can teach multiplication tables, but few parents or children have the patience and desire to keep banging away on something so boring for weeks on end.
The obvious alternative is a multiplication tables game--that's why there are hundreds of them. The problem with multiplication table games is that they're usually ineffective, boring, or both. Many a parent has plunked down their good hard cash at a major retailer for some multiplication game that turned out to be a huge waste of money. Some parents then have turned to word-association methods, while others have simply given up altogether.
The purpose of this page is to pull together a list of genuinely effective tools and advice for truly mastering multiplication tables.
It will come as no surprise that our first multiplication tables recommendation is Timez Attack. It's the first and only high-end educational game built specifically for multiplication tables--and it shows. It will suck your child in and give them a thorough mastery of multiplication tables before spitting them back out. It works. There's a free version. What else can we say.
We're just starting this page, so we will keep adding more content as we get more time. If you know of any other genuinely effective tools for mastering multiplication tables, please let us know. Thanks! For now, let me at least give a good plug to www.multiplication.com. It's a great site with lots of resources already.