Multiplication Activities to Help Your Child Memorize the Times TableFinding the right multiplication activities to help your child learn the times table (which means completely memorizing the multiplication facts 1-12, backwards and forwards) is a key to your child’s success in the upper grades of elementary school, middle school and beyond.Indeed, it wasn’t long ago that every child learned how to multiply well by the end of third grade. At some point in second grade, sometimes even starting in first grade, the times table was learned, and then third grade math problems were devoted to learning the algorithms for multiplying numbers with more than one digit together, and the many applications of multiplication. It is most unlikely that this is your child’s experience today with multiplication activities in third grade, or was his or her experience if he or she is now further on in elementary school or in middle school. Now third grade math education is likely to be devoted to a bewildering variety of topics, like: estimation, data analysis, and geometry. There will be some multiplication activities, but its quite possible in the scant time devoted to it, that your child might not learn the times table properly, let alone the procedures for multiplying multi-digit numbers. Let's help your child master the core 3rd grade math topic, the multiplication table, now! Our multiplication activities and skills practice worksheets are designed to help your child methodically and thoroughly learn the times table:
If you don't already have it, you will have to download the Adobe Acrobat reader to view and print the worksheets. We encourage you to have your child work through these multiplication activities one page a day. By the time he or she is done, perhaps with some supplementary oral practice as well, he or she should be a real master of the multiplication facts.
Your child will have so much fun practicing the times tables, you'll have trouble pulling him away from the game.
Why does Timez Attack work so well? Unlike most students' classroom instruction, this game gives ample skills practice opportunity and doesn't advance until your child demonstrates skill mastery!!!
Why Does it Matter if my Child Memorizes the Times Table? Why does it matter? They can always just multiply with a calculator anyway, right? It matters very much now and in high school math in the future... for a variety of reasons.
So, the reasoning why the time should not be spent on multiplication activities, when we can just do it on a calculator anyway, is part of the rationale that has led to multiplication not being taught properly in our schools. However, it cannot explain how a child who can’t multiply has any chance for success in the subsequent math curriculum. 
Mental Development There is a second and deeper point, mastering arithmetic is part of the mental development of a math student. It is an exercise in a mental abstract operation. This exercise develops the student’s ability to handle symbolic manipulation and to think abstractly. We need to learn arithmetic to learn algebra, not just for the skill mastery, but for the mental development. The child who has not gone through the process of learning how to multiply, along with the other third grade math problems and skills of arithmetic, will not be mentally fit to learn algebra and the rest of high school math!!! Arithmetic is the exercise, the “weightlifting and aerobics,” for the elementary school student’s brain. Extra Help Had the parents of these children engaged in remediation while the child was still in elementary school, they would have spared the student years of feeling like a math failure. By middle school many students are resistant to getting extra math help! If your child is struggling, the one-on-one assistance of a qualified math tutor would be the greatest service to your child. Some children just need the extra explanation and practice that a tutor provides. A great resource to find local, experienced math tutors is wyzant.com, a database of professional tutors in a variety of subjects. Here are a few math tutors in your area. 
We wish your child great success with our free worksheets and encourage you to send us any questions or feedback. Want more helpful tips and ideas to help your child achieve math success? Complete the form below to receive the Sensible Math Tips - the e-Zine for parents.
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By the middle of third grade your child should know the times table backwards and forwards.
By that we mean if you ask any product from 1 x 1 to 12 x 12, he should be able to shoot back to answer immediately and without hesitation.
Sometimes, more intensive practice is needed to help your child catch up on memorizing his third grade math skills. Small doses of consistent daily practice with WORKBOOKS, FLASH CARDS, or other MEMORIZATION AIDS are critical to see improvement!
And the good news is, that can be pretty easy and fun to achieve with these well-organized and easy-to-use workbooks from Kumon.
As an added benefit, the price can't be beat. Especially if you buy them at amazon.com. These skills books are a great value at $7... OR... buy 3 and get the 4th free!
I highly recommend the Kumon first grade math activities books as the best designed, most useful books on the market.
I not only use them in my classrooms every year, but I use them at home too with my own elementary-age kids to help them build and hone their math skills, too.