Teaching multiplication in third grade can be TOUGH, but also SO MUCH FUN! I love teaching multiplication because it is new to kids and they love to learn it. Plus, it is the part of third grade were you really get to see students grow.
I am going to share below my top things that I do that I believe helps my kiddos master their facts the most.
(I do a ton more, but these are my must do things)
Teach it SLOW
The multiplication unit should take you a LONG time. It is important that they really memorize and know their facts, in order to that you need to give them time. I teach math in centers (read about that here) and I do this organization to teach.
Day 1: Introduce the challenge, learn arrays
Day 2: Arrays
Day 3 & 4: Equal Groups
Day 5 & 6: Repeated Addition
Day 7 & 8: Skip Counting
Then, you teach one day on each of the facts. I go in this order: 2, 10, 5, 1 & 0, 11, 3, 4, 6, 9, 8, 7, 12.
Yup, friends, that is 20 days! After that we spend another week or so just practicing all facts together!
Go slow, it is worth it! The constant practice is what they need for full memorization!
Skip Counting Song
Doing this song I swear has made me (the teacher) better at my facts. Skip counting is one of the easiest ways I have seen work for my kiddos. It helps them succeed at memorization and gets them to the answer faster.
During the multiplication unit we sing this song EVERY DAY! Seriously, every single day.
This is the song that I have used for years, but there are many other good ones out there!
Multiplication Challenge
I do a multiplication movie challenge to help promote mastery of facts. The way it works is kids get tested every two days on whatever fact set they are on.
They have to get 10 problems in one minute and get everything correct. If they do they move on to the next number.
Each time they move to a new number they get to color that in on their sheet and write their name on the class “numbers”. These numbers hang in the hallway for all to see.
Once they pass the 3s they earn a movie ticket to the movie party at the end of the unit. Then, if they pass the 6s they earn a popcorn ticket, 9s a drink ticket, and if they pass all the way through 2 mixed problems they earn a candy ticket.
I typically have parents donate all the items for the party that we have right before Christmas break!
Students are so motivated by this challenge they are practicing their facts all.the.time.
Plus, I made you the EVERYTHING you need for a perfect 3rd grade multiplication challenge!
Grab all the freebies by putting your name and email below!
Practice, Practice, Practice
We are practicing each and everyday in so many ways!
I teach a two week unit where we do centers all week long! Find that unit here!
Some ways we practice include
**Digital Math Centers on Google Classroom — Find these here! There is a multiplication center that is easy to assign for centers!
**Xtra Math Online–This website is not super “fun” but it does help them master their facts
**Board Games–I was fortunate to have a TON of board games left for me! Head to my amazon store to see all the ones my kids LOVE playing!
**Task Cards–Head here for my multiplication task cards!
**Assessments–I assess several times throughout the unit! I use these simple and easy assessments!
Hannah Wilde
I am so glad you’re here! I love helping 3rd-5th grade teachers by providing ideas, engaging resources, and professional development they need. I am a literacy coach who is here to help lessen the workload for teachers while making them more confident! I want students to be continually engaged in a rigorous environment!