Multiplication Mantra

Whether you like it or not, you have to know all the multiplication facts in order to be ready to advance to the next step in Elementary math.  Traditionally, Japanese second grade students beautifully complete this task with a multiplication chant called Kuku before the end of the school year, although the mastering speed varies depending on the student.  Second graders all around Japan are reciting Kuku every day until they memorize the multiplication facts.  The multiplication fact chant sounds somewhat like a song and somewhat like a rap.  But it doesn't mean anything besides a strings of facts from 1x1=1 through 9x9=81. Seven or eight year old children pick up its rhythm and memorize all the facts.  And surprisingly, all facts permanently stick in their brains.  It is an astonishing phenomenon that I had never questioned  until someone asked me, "How should third graders master multiplication facts?"

I have tried several strategies in my previous third grade classrooms, such as memorizing by writing, drilling, timing, using fingers, chorusing, counting, using manipulatives, flash cards, and even an English version of Kuku.

I was sitting by a nine year old boy and was ready to try my new approach.  So far, I hadn't been successful with helping him master his multiplication facts with all these strategies listed above.  I made myself a goal to make him master all the multiplication facts before fourth grade.  My first idea was to start our tutoring session with Mindfulness.  He can be calm and increase his attention.  "Let's breathe.  Count your breath," I invited him.  I closed my eyes and heard his breaths.  When we both opened our eyes, he seemed ready to connect his brain stem to the prefrontal cortex.

Ambitiously, I decided to use some combined methods from  How We Learn by Benedict Carey in a 45 minute session.  1) Short quizzes....Asking questions in order to engage the mind and demand more than straight memorization.  Even if he makes mistakes, he can predict what's coming in the process.  I encouraged him to pretend to be an expert.  2) Spacing Time...Set a timer for two minutes in between activities so he can relax or think about something else.  I made seven sets of multiplication facts (6s).  Each set had facts from 1 to 9.  In this case, facts from 1x6 to 9x6 were randomly listed. 

"OK, write each answer in 5 seconds and move on until you are done.  If you don't know the answer, just skip it and move on."  (I wanted to break his counting habit.) Each routine consisted of a (pre)test, 2 minutes self studying (writing down, silent reading, visualizing, reading aloud etc), and a 1 minute stretch.  I counted the number of correct answers and the number of blank spaces in which he gave up on "pretending to be an expert".

1st round: 3 correct 3 blanks
2nd round: 4 correct 4 blanks  "I don't know all of these.  I don't like it."
3rd round 6 correct 1 blanks
4th round 7 correct 0 blanks  "Yeah, I did it."
5th round 6 correct 1 blank
6th round 6 correct 0 blank
7th round 7 correct 1 blank

He started to pretend to be an expert from the 3rd round and increased his accuracy!  It is now evident that 6x8 is the "must" focus fact, and that he needs to strengthen his knowledge of 6x6 and 6x7 consistently.   This routine can be another repertoire in my classroom. At the end of the session, we both breathed deeply.