Complete and utter blank stares.
I asked my students to solve 4 times 7. And every one of them looked like a deer standing in front of headlights.
Helping students master their multiplication facts is tricky.
It can feel like a never-ending battle.
But, as their teacher, you KNOW how important it is for your students to rattle off their times tables.
Allow me to introduce a multiplication challenge.
A great way to help your students get some math facts practice and celebrate the multiplication masters they become! 🤩
Math Facts Practice in the Classroom 🔢
A key part to helping your students become multiplication masters is to do it often.
There are SO many ways you can bring multiplication practice into your classroom in fun and exciting ways.
1. XtraMath
XtraMath is a website that helps your students practice math facts in 10 minutes a day.
This website will create an account for each of your students and guide them through practicing their addition, subtraction, multiplication & division facts as they master them.
The best part is each student has an individualized set of problems.
Give your students 8-10 minutes a day, every other day, or once a week to do XtraMath for that repetition.
There is a paid version, and while it has some nice features, the free, basic version is still fantastic!
2. Listen to Songs 🎵
Part of learning math facts is memorizing your multiplication tables.
What better way to do that than through song?
Numberock has some GREAT songs for each multiple that will get stuck in your head, but won’t leave you wanting to pull out your hair.
Check out their multiples of 3 video here!
3. Play Games 🎲
Multiplication practice doesn’t have to be boring and dull.
Add in some games to spruce things up!
Play Sparkle or find a Kahoot or Blooket to make practicing math facts something your students beg you for more of. 😉
4. Use Resources 📜
Finally, provide resources so learning and mastering multiplication facts can be easy for your students.
- Hang Skip Counting numbers on your math resource wall.
- Create student-sized handouts for each multiple.
- Make flashcards that students can grab and practice anytime.
No matter what combination of methods you bring into your classroom, the key is to put multiplication facts in front of your students often.
Turn Multiplication into a Challenge 🏆
Another way to boost student engagement when it comes to math facts is to turn it into a challenge.
This works great for third grade where a key part of the math curriculum is focused on learning and mastering math facts.
Paxton is a third grade teacher and she decided to do just this to encourage her students on their multiplication journey.
She created a Multiplication Challenge display to help her students track their progress!
Creating the Multiplication Challenge Display 👏
Setting up a Multiplication Challenge display in your classroom is a great way to get students talking more about their math facts.
Paxon used the Pastel Retro bulletin board letters in my TPT store to create this AMAZING display.
Here’s how to bring it to life:
1️⃣ Type your heading “Multiplication Challenge” and all of the numbers you need in the editable file.
2️⃣ Print & cut out the letters.
3️⃣ Laminate the letters (if you want them to hold up for a long time) and cut again!
4️⃣ Hang the display on your wall!
Check this out to save yourself time and only hang your letters once!
5️⃣ Add names or numbers or stickers as students master each set of math facts.
Start Your Own Multiplication Challenge
You can do this too! You just need to decide a couple of things:
- How will students “level up”?
- What will you do to celebrate success?
To “Level Up” in the multiplication challenge really just means gaining mastery over a multiple. So, once you show that you have mastered the multiples of one, you have finished that part of the challenge. The goal is to master the multiples of 1 – 12.
Now, you just need to decide how students will “Level Up” in your classroom.
It could be by
➡️ Reaching mastery of the multiple in XtraMath (you are informed of when this happens & there is a certificate you can print!)
➡️ Passing a timed minute test on a certain multiple
➡️ Any other method you want to use in your classroom
Once a student has “Leveled Up”, you get to celebrate!
Celebrate Student Success 🎉
First and foremost, add the student’s name or number or sticker of their choice to the Multiplication Challenge Display for the number they mastered.
Then, if you want to do more, you can always
🎊 Bring in a treat
🎊 Have a prize box
🎊 Earn a special privilege in class (eat lunch in the classroom, sit in a special chair, use a fun pen, etc.)
Adding some bits of celebration helps encourage the hard work it is to memorize ALL the multiplication facts.
The journey to learning your math facts can feel long to your students.
Adding some small encouragement along the way will help them persevere.
If you’re looking for more third grade fun, follow Paxton on Instagram @blossoming_in_fourth 😊