Mental Image Ideas For Mastering Times Tables

One of the hardest math tasks for young children (and some older ones!) is learning their times tables. A recent poll found that, even among adults, less than half were able to give a quick, confident answer to the sum: 8 x 7 = ? 

A way of getting round this problem is to learn how to substitute common numbers for simple mental images . By creatively connecting the images together into short, fun narratives, children - and adults - are able to prevent tables phobia, while having fun!

Let's give some easy examples to start with: 'shoe times shoe equals floor'. (2 x 2 = 4). Another: 'tree times tree equals vine.' (3 x 3 = 9). Notice that the substitutions made make a sort of sense; two shoes are put together on the floor as you come home, and trees do sometimes have vines. 

We can expand the system for larger sums: 'floor times floor equals sticks bean'. (4 x 4 = 16) and 'vine times vine equals Katie bun' (9 x 9 = 81). As the tables get larger, the narratives will become slightly more complex, but simple imagination and creativity will work really well with this method. 

And the sum given to adults in the poll mentioned above? 'Gate times heaven = cliff tea sticks'. Easy!

More information on mental imagery and teaching simple number sense:

http://www.curriculumsupport.nsw.edu.au/maths/countmein/parent.htm - Explains some simple ideas for teaching young children number sense through stories (*** out of 5)

http://www.mathsyear2000.org/resources/it/qpa.shtml - Some common numeracy questions asked by parents of young children answered here (*** out of 5)