Do you feel like your students are just not getting it? Maybe they know their multiplication facts but can’t seem to put them together when faced with solving arithmetic problems. If you’re finding that your students are struggling with the basics of math, incorporating daily multiplication practice into your classroom is a great way to give them extra help so they can excel in their classes and have the confidence to succeed in future classes and beyond. Here is how to incorporate daily multiplication practice in your classroom so that you can see an increase in fluency and confidence.

 

A classic classroom game that is great for practicing multiplication is a race. Have the students break up into teams and have each team pick a multiplication fact to race against the other teams. The team that finishes first with the correct answer earns points, while the rest must try again. Play this game periodically throughout the year to assess both fluency and confidence. I love doing this with my students and they get very competitive. This is great for double digit multiplication also as it takes more time for them to write it and the rest of the class can cheer them on.

 

The other way you can do a race is to have something on your wall rather it be a sailboat arena, car race track, or even ice cream cones. Each student has an ice cream cone, sailboat, or car and their daily multiplication tables will show if they have mastered a concept and get to move forward in the race. I have a template for this for free for my subscribers in my ultimate multiplication toolkit. To grab your free copy click on the link below to become a subscriber.

 

Multiplication facts can be incorporated into various math centers, allowing students to practice their multiplication facts in a more engaging way. Try incorporating these centers as part of daily math rotations during fluency work time.

Have the students sort a selection of multiplication facts into two different piles based on which ones are easier. This can help kids who are still learning the basics by giving them something easier, to begin with, and giving them the confidence to tackle the harder facts.

Create a bingo card that has multiplication facts on it. Have the students fill out their bingo cards by calling out the multiplication facts. Also, kids will just have fun filling up their cards and really starting to master their facts. It is always fun to watch kids get competitive over learning faster.

Have the students use manipulatives like spoons or pennies to count out multiplication facts. This is a great way to introduce multiplication to students without the pressure of having to know their times tables. It is actually my favorite way to introduce students to the concept of multiplication. Plus kids who need math to be more concrete will love working with the manipulatives.

Have the students look for patterns in a selection of multiplication facts. This can be a great way to review if you’re finding that the younger students are struggling. Patterns in multiplication are really a way to make the math stick in students’ heads.

 

I also love to incorporate digital math centers into my rotations. This allows some students to be working on their Ipads or Chromebooks while you lead other parts of the centers. My favorite digital math centers are my year-around multiplication drills and my multiplication equations mystery pictures. These math centers make students feel like they are playing games but really there is a lot of learning going on.

 

Even if you don’t have a math center planned for the day, you can incorporate manipulatives into your daily lesson to give your students an opportunity to practice multiplication facts. One of my favorites is ten frames this will help students start to see the patterns of multiplication. It is also a great way to concretely introduce multiplication to students. Another great manipulative is base ten blocks these will have students counting and understanding place value in regard to multiplication problems. Lastly, dice are a great manipulative for students to play with that truthfully just feels like a fun game.

 

Multiplication drills are a great way to practice and assess fluency in multiplication facts. There are a variety of ways you can incorporate these drills into your daily lesson. You can use printable drills that have students answering a certain number of problems within a time limit. You can get rid of the time limit also so there is not pressure on your students. You can do drills through the class races that I listed above. I also have a great set of digital multiplication drills that would be perfect to send home as daily multiplication practice. Plus that makes for some fun homework. To grab these drills click here.

There are several dice games that are perfect for practicing multiplication facts. Try incorporating these games into your daily lesson as a way to assess fluency with multiplication facts. One of these is Roll and Color. In this game kids, roll a die and color that many spaces on a multiplication chart. Another dice game is Roll and Turn. Have the students roll a die and then turn that many spaces on a multiplication chart. Then they have to say what multiplication problem corresponds to the space right after the ones they turned. The next game is called Roll and Call – Roll two dice and call out the answer if you multiplied both the numbers on the dice together.

 

Daily practice can go a long way when it comes to improving fluency and confidence with multiplication facts. No matter how daunting this task may seem, there are a variety of ways to incorporate multiplication practice into your daily lesson to help keep your students on track. There are a variety of ways you can incorporate these strategies into your daily lesson to ensure that your students get the practice they need to feel confident and comfortable when it comes to multiplication facts.