Flash cards, worksheets, and other memorization gadgets quickly drift to the bottom of our toy chest. As a result, I decided not to specifically work on memorizing facts with my four oldest children. Instead, I always make sure they understand the underlying concepts, and then consistently give them problems and other opportunities to apply them.

Before my fourth child learned the multiplication tables, we would laboriously work through repeated additions or work out the area of an equivalent rectangle every time we needed to use multiplication to solve a problem. Eventually he realized that remembering 6 times 7 was 42 could save him a lot of effort. With this motivation and lots of practice in mental arithmetic, he has caught on to multiplication facts like a champ!

If your child still needs extra practice, make sure he or she has a strong understanding of the concepts in Mental Math in the Primary Grades and Mental Math in the Middle Grades.

When your child understands the concepts and needs to hold them in their memory, you can use Math Shark, an electronic drill, or kinesthetic drills such as Addition Wrap Ups, Subtraction Wrap Ups, Multiplication Wrap Ups, or Division Wrap Ups. You might also find the tunes in Schoolhouse Rock! (Special 30th Anniversary Edition) helpful.

For the child who loves the social aspect or the competition of a good game, Learning Resources The Iguana Factor Multiplication Game is an excellent way to help them learn the multiplication facts without them even realizing it.