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Learning to count is fun with this range of free educational games for Key Stage 1 children. Start with the simple counting games and progress to numbers up to 100. There are also matching and sequencing numbers activities.

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Learning to count is fun with this range of free educational games for Key Stage 1 children. Start with the simple counting games and progress to numbers up to 100. There are also matching and sequencing numbers activities.

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Impact study

To what extent does using MyMaths save teachers time?

An impact study was undertaken to understand 'To what extent does using MyMaths save teachers time?' It included interviews with 22 teachers across Primary and Secondary schools in England. The time they reported saving varied from 15 minutes to 5 hours a week, with the average saving being around 2 hours a week.

An impact study is research that investigates a particular change or outcome that a product or service has on the group of people it is intended to help or benefit.
Learn more about the impact study

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MyMaths is an interactive online teaching and homework subscription website for schools that builds pupil engagement and consolidates maths knowledge. It is used in over 70 countries by approximately four million students each year!

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Times Tables Rock Stars – Times Tables Rock Stars

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use your hands

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Introduction: Tables of 6, 7, 8 and 9 in Your Hands

At the age of 8 I had to learn the multiplying tables. I've never been good at memorizing lists or tables. It was easy to learn the tables from 1 to 5 but from 6 to 9 it seemed to be way more complicated... A year later I heard this trick on the radio and it saved my life. Since then I've taught it to many other kids. I passed such a bad time at school as I was the only one in my class who didn't know the tables so I hope this trick was useful for any parent or teacher who knew any child in this situation

SPREAD THE KNOWLEDGE!

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Step 1: Ascribe Values

- First put your hands in front of you as shown in the drawing
- In each hand, ascribe a value from 6 to 10 to each finger

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Step 2: How to Multiply

Step 1

Choose the numbers to multiply. Example: 7x8

Step 2

Put together the fingers whoses values you want to multiply.

Step 3

Now count the touching fingers and the ones below them. The number you get will be the tens. Example: 5

Step 4

Now multiply the fingers above the ones touching of the left hand and the ones in the right hand. The number you get will be the units. Example: 3x2=6

Answer: 56

**In some cases you will get a number of units bigger than nine, in that case sum both quantities**

Example: 7x6

- Touching fingers + the ones below -> 3

- Fingers above the ones touching in left hand -> 3
3 x 4 = 12
- Fingers above the ones touching in the right hand -> 4

3 (tens)
Now we've got 3 tens and 12 units -> + 12 (units)
---------
42 (final result)

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Step 3: Another Trick for the Table of 9

Here's an extra trick for the whole table of nine.

- First put your hands in front of you
- Then ascribe values from 1 to 10 to your fingers
- Fold the finger whose value you want to multiply nine times
- The fingers remaining unfolded in the left will be the tens
- The fingers remaining unfolded in the right will be the units

Example: 9 x 4

- Fold the fourth finger
- Fingers remaining unfold in the left -> 3 (tens)
- Fingers remaining unfold in the right -> 6 (units)
- Final result -> 36

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At the age of 8 I had to learn the multiplying tables. I've never been good at memorizing lists or tables. It was easy to learn the tables from 1 to 5 but from 6 to 9 it seemed to be way more complicated...

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During the last few weeks, I have shared geometry activities that focused on vertices and sides. JDaniel got make geometry aliens and explore geometry riddles with LEGO at home to re-enforce the skills he was working on at school. If he was working on geometry at school and it made sense to review those concepts at home. Now he is moving on to fractions at school so, we have moved on to them too. Today's activity uses LEGOS to play fraction games.

Disclaimer:
We have tons of LEGOS at home! (So many LEGO that I made him a special LEGO storage bucket.) We are using them a lot to review and learn skills. If you have tons of blocks, you might want to use them for this activity instead.

How We Put the Workspace Together:
Supplies The link below is an affiliate link. Tip:
We accumulated a lot of LEGO by purchasing an assortment of LEGO with 884 Pieces in a box.
Steps

We created six towers using three 1×8 in each.

The three towers were placed in two rows.

A single 1×8 was placed two rows in front of each tower.

This created an index card display space.

With the workspace completed I wrote various fractions of small pieces of index cards.

Playing the Fraction Games

I laid the fraction cards out on the kitchen table along with a bowl of 1×4 LEGOS. JDaniel was asked to select a fraction and place in it a card holder. Then he was asked to display that fraction.

He chose to display some of the fractions horizontally and some vertically. We talked about how it really didn't matter how the LEGOS were displayed. What mattered was that they displayed the right fraction!

Fraction Game Alternatives

After he had finished the two rows of fractions, he decided that it would be fun to build the fraction and have me find its fraction card.

This would be fun for two children to play or an adult and child as we did.
Here are several more fraction game ideas we tried out: Vertical Fractions
We displayed our fractions flat on the base plate. Children could display the fractions in towers if they like. There really isn't a wrong way to play these fraction games.
Opposite Fraction
After we created the fraction displayed in bricks based on the card, we talked about what the other fraction displayed. The first fraction displayed in the first row of this picture showed three fifths of the bricks as blue, but what fraction was displayed by the red bricks? It displayed the fraction two fifths.
Reducing Fractions
If you had a larger base plate to work with, you could work on larger fractions. If you worked on larger fractions, you could then talk about reducing the fractions to their lowest terms.

JDaniel noticed that one half and two fourths were the same when we worked on building the fractions. The LEGO fraction display made it easier to see that relationship. I think working with bigger fractions will do that with many fractions.
Call the Color of the Numerator
If you are ready to go into numerators and denominators, children could be asked to display the top number in a specific color. The remaining bricks could be different colors or all the same of any color but the one used for the top color.

JDaniel pointed out that to me with he was working on fractions. If was a great time to introduce "big kid" math words.

If you do try any of the above fraction games, please leave me a comment below telling me about it or share a picture of it on my Facebook page.

(Visited 33,768 times, 15 visits today)

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During the last few weeks, I have shared geometry activities that focused on vertices and sides. JDaniel got make geometry aliens and explore geometry riddles with LEGO at home to re-enforce the skills he was working on at school. If he was working on geometry at school and it made sense to review those concepts at home.

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Welcome! I LOVE math, and I'm so excited to be sharing this FREE email course with you! If you're looking to start teaching small group math, or wanting to switch up your current math block, this is the course for you!

I mean... just look at all of the FREEBIES you'll get! (and this isn't even ALL of them!)
Included in this FREE resource:

Square Capture (Multiples 1-6)

Square Capture in Black & White (Multiples 7-12)

Square Capture in Color (Multiples 7-12)

Square Capture in Black & White (Multiples 2-12)

Square Capture in Color (Multiples 2-12)

Square Capture in Black & White (Multiples 2-10)

Square Capture in Color (Multiples 7-12)

Hex It Out! Instructions

Hex It Out! game pieces

Hex It Out! answer key

Find & Clip Instructions

Find & Clip boards (Black & White)

Find & Clip boards (Color)

What to expect from the FREE email course: SIGN-UP EMAIL

FREE DOWNLOAD: Over 50 Pages of Math Centers: (Multiplication, Addition & Number Recognition)

Why do I need to teach small group math?

What will my math block look like?

What is happening during each part of my math block?

How do I select my groups?

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What's happening at each center?

How do my students know where to go?

FREE DOWNLOAD: Math Group Post-In Note Labels

How can I organize my supplies so that my students can access them independently? (3 tips)

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What are math journals?

How are math journals organized?

What goes in each section?

FREE DOWNLOAD: Math Journal Dividers & Covers

I can't wait for to share all of these goodies with you!

Keep Your Little Stars Shining,

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FREE MULTIPLICATION CENTERS - Teaching with Jillian Starr

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Welcome! I LOVE math, and I'm so excited to be sharing this FREE email course with you! If you're looking to start teaching small group math, or wanting to switch up your current math block, this is the course for you! I mean... just look at all of the FREEBIES you'll get!

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©Depositphotos.com/@tomwang
Multiplication is so important for third grade. It is imperative that students know the facts so that they can focus on higher level math tasks in fourth grade and beyond.

We've already discussed some of the key ways to ensure that students understand how multiplication works (see the post and get a freebie HERE). Now the question is... how do we get them to memorize 8 x 7 = 56? See how I used the word memorize? Some educators will tell you that this is the wrong word. They like to use fluency instead, or maybe automaticity. Memorization connotes, to some, a type of rote learning that the Common Core State Standards are trying to move us away from. But here is what the standards say:

Fluently multiply and divide within 100, using strategies such as the relationship between multiplication and division (e.g., knowing that 8 × 5 = 40, one knows 40 ÷ 5 = 8) or properties of operations. By the end of Grade 3, know from memory all products of two one-digit numbers. (3.OA.7)

If the understanding comes first, as it should, then memorizing is what the students need to do, so that they can become fluent, and have automaticity. There. See how they can all come together? I particularly like this definition from the online psychology dictionary:

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Think about riding a bike. It took work to learn how, and a lot of practice to do it well. You had to think about balance, and steering straight, and moving your feet on the pedals. Those training wheels really helped! And when you finally got everything working together, it took practice to get to the point where it no longer required conscious effort. (And it was wonderful!) This is what we want to do with multiplication facts.

So what does this mean for the classroom? It means that students must be given time, in class, to practice their multiplication facts. In more than one way! They should also be practicing at home. And then we need a way to assess their _______________ (insert your favorite word here: fluency, automaticity, or memorization). But let's give them some training wheels (scaffolds) - like the "Secret Code" to begin with. Finally, let's give them an incentive, something that keeps them engaged and excited in the learning process.

Click on the picture to download for FREE from TpT
Step 1: Tell students about the "Secret Codes" that will help them learn their facts. Eight-year-olds love secrets! (Some of them will know that it's only skip-counting... but they'll still have fun with it.) Study them closely, decipher them, and look for patterns together. Then practice them! Write them down, say them together, get in a circle and have each person say a number in order (We play a game called "Sparkle" with them). Write them in a multiplication chart, so students can see how many they already know. You can even sing them... but that's another post.

Step 2: Practice, Practice, Practice! Practice the multiplication facts in many different ways. We use regular flash cards, which they take home to practice every night. There are tons of computer games, iPad apps, card games, multiplication charts, dice games, free worksheet generators, etc. Find the ones you like. Here are a few of my favorites:

These can be purchased on Amazon.

These are fabulous cards for practicing and understanding fact families! Cover the top number for multiplication practice, and one of the bottom numbers for division. (I bought these from Amazon.com)

Click the picture to try this computer game!
Math Magician Games - put a link on your student computers. Click on multiplication or division to practice any set of facts from ones to tens. Students try to answer 20 questions in one minute. (My students love this one, and it's free!) They can print a certificate when they pass.

Show a video! Here's a student explaining multiplication memorization, and why it's not so hard (3:49)

Click on the picture to see this paid product on TpT

The following pages are from my Multiplication Memorization Tool Kit. Click on any picture to see the kit in my Teachers Pay Teachers Store. It has over 100 pages of multiplication memorization magic! (There is a cost for this product, since it took me eight years to make...)

Ice Cream Cone Fluency Practice My students love to practice with dry erase markers. We put these ice cream cones into page protectors, and they use them at a math station. These can be differentiated by having students work with different factors in the middle. One version has the factors in order, the other has them mixed up.

Secret Code Mazes My students love these! They have to follow the code (x1 to x10) four times in a row to get to the end.

Partner Dice Games This is one of the games in my Multiplication kit. They use two dice and go up to 6x6. These make a great math center when placed inside a plastic page protector and played with dry erase markers or game tokens.

Multiplication Homework I have three different pages of practice that are easily differentiated. Perfect for students who need extra practice or have not quite mastered certain multiplication facts.

Step 3: Assess with scaffolds. Make sure
students have a strategy for the facts you are testing! Van de Walle states that a drill without an efficient strategy is a waste of time, but an effective drill strengthens memory and retrieval capabilities. Let them take a practice timed test, but have them write the "Secret Code" down the side. Set the timer to count up from zero, and have them write the time it took to finish. When they do it again the next day, they can try to beat their previous time. (I use the online timer HERE)

Step 4: Finally, assess with a timed test. By this time the hope is that they will have memorized the set of facts you are working on. I use my own timed tests from my Multiplication Tool Kit, because they have a built in review section at the bottom of the page. (What good is remembering the fours if you have forgotten all of the threes?) There are also many that you can find for free, on TpT or using a Google search.

I give my students a week to memorize each set of facts (we have already been working on understanding multiplication for at least a month by the time we start this process). I keep track of the class on a word document that shows when they have passed the test and the regular flash cards.

Click on the picture to see my Ice Cream Incentive Program on TpT
Step 5: Whew! If you've made it this far, thanks! Now comes the reward. When students pass the timed test and the flash cards, they earn a part of their ice cream sundae. I have the pieces copied onto colored construction paper, and they cut it out and glue it onto their sundae on the wall. They LOVE to glue each part on - and to show it to their parents at conference time!

When the ten (or more) weeks of multiplication memorization are completed, we have a huge party. I invite parents to provide the goodies, and to help scoop ice cream, squirt syrup, sprinkle sprinkles, spray whipped cream, etc. I work in a high poverty district, but we have always had parents willing to help their children celebrate this milestone.

My teaching partner and I have had considerable success with variations on this process for the last eight years. I'm sure there are many other (and maybe better) ways to lead students to multiplication fluency, automaticity, and memorization... but this has worked well for us. Plus, we get ice cream!

p.s. 8x7 used to be difficult for me to remember, until I thought about the order of the digits: 56 = 7x8. Now it's my favorite fact to teach =)

Happy Multiplication Fact Teaching,

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unlocking the "secret code" of multiplication memorization

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Unlocking the "Secret Code" of Multiplication Memorization (Light Bulbs and Laughter)

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©Depositphotos.com/@tomwangMultiplication is so important for third grade. It is imperative that students know the facts so that they can focus on higher level math tasks in fourth grade and beyond. We've already discussed some of the key ways to ensure that students understand how multiplication works (see the post and get a freebie HERE).

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times tables card games

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I am always on the lookout for quick and easy ways to practice math facts. Certainly we want to encourage and develop a deep, conceptual understanding of math concepts. And of course, we need to find ways to develop number sense, especially in the early years. But we also need to help kids become fluent in computation because this will give them confidence and set them up for less frustration in the upper grades. So today, I'm sharing another math card game that covers multiplication for kids, but can be adapted to practice any math skill.
*Please Note: This post contains affiliate links which help support the work of this site. Read our full disclosure policy here.*
Easy Game to Practice Multiplication for Kids:

Today's game is called Spiral, and it's perfect for third-fifth grade. (Though it can be adapted for younger kids if used for addition and subtraction).

Skills Focus:

Multiplication (or other operations if you'd prefer)

Materials Needed for Spiral: Math Card Game for Kids

How to Play Spiral:

Get a quick overview with this video ( but be sure to see variations below!):
The object of this game is to be the first to travel from start to finish.

Start with a complete deck of cards, as well as 1-2 dice and game pieces for each player. Ace = 1, Jack = 11, Queen = 12 and King = 13.

For younger kids, you may want to have an index card with these values written down for their reference so they don't have to remember or try to figure it out.

To begin, build a spiral out of the entire deck of cards, as shown in the picture below. This will serve as your game board. You can use the same board for multiple games, or create a new board each time to change it up.

Each player then places their game piece at start (the center of the spiral).

To start, the first player rolls a die and moves that number of cards on the game board. They must then multiply the number on their die with the value of the card they landed on. If they solve it correctly, they stay there, otherwise they go back to their previous position.

Players then take turns rolling and moving around the game board.

If a player lands on a card with another player on it, they "bump" that player back to start.

If a player lands on a "double," meaning the number on their die and the value of their card is the same, they get to go again.
The first player to land exactly on the last card and correctly solve the multiplication problem wins!

Variations to the Game:

Because this creates such a unique game board that is different every time, there are countless possibilities. You can change the rules to practice all sorts of math concepts, depending on the age and ability of your kids.

For younger kids, you could change the operation to addition or subtraction (or even just practice number recognition by removing all face cards).

Or, if you'd like to focus on multiplying by 10, change the value of all face cards to equal ten.

To practice integer operations, make the black cards positive values and the red cards negative values, then add, subtract or multiply.

Purchase PDF Download | Purchase Print Book on Amazon

However you play, I hope your kids enjoy the challenge, and spend more time practicing their math facts! 🙂
Looking for more fun and engaging math card games? See this post with games sorted by topic: And if you need for fun ideas for multiplication for kids, check out these resources:
Plus, if you'd like to receive this entire series of games, including printable versions and a BONUS game, right in your inbox, click here to sign up! It's FREE!

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Spiral: Easy Way to Practice Multiplication for Kids

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I am always on the lookout for quick and easy ways to practice math facts. Certainly we want to encourage and develop a deep, conceptual understanding of math concepts. And of course, we need to find ways to develop number sense, especially in the early years.