Multiplication facts practice:
We will continue to have basic facts tests approximately every other week, as I emphasize how important basic facts are in all math from 4th grade on up. If your child is still struggling with the basic facts, please have a look at my plan for helping my small RTI group with theirs:
I have my small study group begin with 1's every day, move to 2's when they can get 100%, then to 3's, and so on. I track how many sets they can complete in a 20-minute session. My study group always ends the year with a 95% accuracy on basic multiplication facts. I also suggest that in the first few runs through a new set of facts, you tell the child the answer after about 3 seconds. Then have them try to pass the test with 100% without help.
http://www.oswego.org/ocsd-web/games/mathmagician/mathsmulti.html
http://www.multiplication.com/resources/online-tests-and-quizzes
We will do some fun alternate methods of multiplying. If your child wants
to explore these more, try these web-pages. I only recently discovered that
students will be responsible to comprehend the Lattice and youtube video methods
on the K-PREP test at the end of the year:
Lattice multiplication: http://ualr.edu/lasmoller/medievalmult.html
Russian peasant multiplication (halves and doubles): http://trottermath.net/russian-peasant-multiplication/
Also,
take a look at this Youtube video that demonstrates using arrays to multiply
teen numbers by teen numbers. Students will be expected to use this
strategy:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=liuAZzO2rnY&feature=related