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Home » Categories » Education » K-12 » Memorizing the Multiplication Tables to 20 - That's Just Crazy! » Reprint Rights » Printer Friendly

Brian Foley

Memorizing the Multiplication Tables to 20 - That's Just Crazy!

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Submitted Sunday, November 23, 2008
Brian Foley (651)
Brian Foley

Magic and Learning
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Do you have a child who needs a confidence-boost in school? Imagine if your child knew the multiplication tables up to 20. It would make him or her seem like a genius compared to most school children who have problems even remembering 7x 8!

If you are like most people, you probably think that memorizing the times tables to twenty would be a heck of a chore. It would! It would be crazy!

I feel sorry for anyone who's already done that when they read ahead and learn the method to get the answer to any multiplication problem with whole numbers between 10 and 20, fast, with no need for memorization. They would have saved weeks of boring, rote memorization if they used this method instead.

Here's how you do it:

Let's say you are multiplying 12 x 17.

Step 1) Add the ones column of either of those numbers to the other number. In this case you could add either 7 + 12 or 2 + 17. (Both would give you the same result, namely 19). Put a zero after it, to get 190.

Step 2) Get the product of the last digits of each of the original numbers (that would be 2 x 7, which would give you 14).

Step 3) Add the two numbers you got. In this case that would be 190 + 14. You'd get 204, and you'd be done, because 12 x 17 = 204.

That's how easy it is, and it works for any numbers between 10 and 20!

Try 19 x 14.

1) 19 + 4 = 23. 23 with a zero at the end is 230.

2) 9 x 4 =36

3) 230 + 36 = 266, which is the correct answer. Piece of cake!

Please, please, please don't ever write anything down when you do this! It wlll defeat the whole purpose of this method. Writing down things that a child's mind should be able to do is like training yourself to use crutches when you don't need them. The whole point of this is to trust your brain, and learn to do simple math mentally.

Here are some more examples. Once you have practiced them, you should become fast enough to amaze anyone, especially an elementary school teacher. A third-grader should be able to do these with ease in a short time, and become the "Einstein" of his or her class.

18 x 13

15 x 16

19 x 18

17 x 14

12 x 16

You may come across instances where you will have to carry. You will automatically understand how to do that if you pay attention.

Remember, you are trying to boost confidence, and you can't do that unless you have the basics down. With the basic multiplication tables "in your bones," this way to multiply numbers up to 20 can be a "reputation-maker."

Of course, if you or someone you know (your child or student, maybe?) hasn't totally masteredthe "multiplication tables," the above method won't do you much good, will it? You'll be happy to know that there is a fool-proof, easy way to teach or learn the basic times-tables in minutes, and it's even easier than the the method for multiplication of 10 through 20. You can learn about it at Learn to Multiply.


Brian Foley (a.k.a. "Professor Homunculus") is the creator and web manager ofMathMojo.com andThe Math Mojo Chronicles.He's presented hisMath and Magic programs at schools, corporations, and other facilities throughout the U.S. and Europe.





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Comments on this article:


» left by Teresa Ortiz (11,489)
Teresa Ortiz
(337 days 8 hours ago.)

Reader Rating: 4 out of 5
O my Gosh, you lost me. I tried it and it didn't make sense to me with the written instructions, but I did get it when you wjust used the numbers for 19 x 14.
 
Good job! Unfortunately, I am work in accounts receivable and my brain has relied way too much on my adding machine. You made me work my brain and it felt good. Blessings, Teresa

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» left by Avis Ward (11,806)
Avis Ward
(337 days 7 hours ago.)

Reader Rating: 5 out of 5
Hey Brian? Way cool! Thanks!
Respond to this comment

» left by Robert Melaccio, Sr. (5,177)
Robert Melaccio, Sr.
(337 days 6 hours ago.)

Reader Rating: 4 out of 5
While subbing I found it totally shocking how many could not do the tables? A blight on our nation. Thanks for the help.

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» left by David Schlesinger (35)
David Schlesinger
(337 days 2 hours ago.)

Reader Rating: 4 out of 5
I'm going to put my eight year old son on this right away.

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» left by vishal from new jersey (292 days 4 hours ago.)
Ummm  if you are impressed by this, you really need to check out some books on VEDIC MATHEMATICS from Amazon or some other book store. Vedic Maths is the way Ancient indians (from INDIA) used to do maths and it is full of these kinda short cuts. And not just for simple addition subtraction multiplication division, but even for trignometry and calculus. For example i can do 1 divided by 19 to 14 decimal places in 10 seconds flat using a vedic maths technique

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» left by pallavi ghildiyal from india (118 days 18 hours ago.)
i ve seen many vedic mathematical tricks but for diff mul u need diff tricks .herein only 1 trick applies to all wich lies between 10 to 20.incase u nw sm tricks i would be highly obliged if u cud share it with me n enlighten ma poor mind

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» left by sandeeep from india (220 days 18 hours ago.)
Reader Rating: 5 out of 5
yes its great to have a view like this in maths .........

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Article added to SearchWarp.com on 11/23/2008 4:14:34 PM.
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