MULTIPLICATION FLASH CARDS

I give these away for free. All I ask is that you print them in color.

There are six PDF files; each fits on a standard piece of 8.5" x 11" paper. Print them out on a color printer, laminate them if possible, then cut them up and use them. They will make the acquisition of multiplication facts faster and more fun. Color is an essential part of the design. If you don't have access to a color printer, there is no point in using these. You might as well make your own flash cards with a black marker.

Each page has six flash cards, for a total of 36 flash cards, from 2 x 2 to 9 x 9.

I have not included files for the other side of the flash cards. It's easier to just write the "2 x 2" etc. by hand.

In retrospect, the flashcards depicting hands/fingers for the nines are kind of dopey. A better way to learn the nines is to do this worksheet a few times: Nines worksheet

Teachers and parents, please read this:

Purpose:

These flash cards are intended to help teenagers and adults catch up. I have designed the graphics with them in mind.

Once they learn the "times tables," then long division and fractions are easy.

Multiplication facts are absolutely essential. Occasionally, someone will claim that the calculator makes memorizing times tables unnecessary. Wrong.

Why flash cards? Why pictures?

How to start:

How you use flash cards is more important than how they look.

First, test the entire set of 36 cards once, including even the real easy ones (2 x 2, 2 x 3). Don't take any for granted, but check them all, because people usually are rusty on the easy ones too. Put aside any cards which are done instantly, without any pause or mental calculation. Only the "hard" ones remain.

From these, choose seven to be learned first. More than seven is too many for short-term memory. Actually, about twenty flash cards is a reasonable number for something like foreign words, but seven seems to be just right for these times tables cards.

Starting with just these seven, take one at a time and study each card's picture and other clues (rhymes, printed phrases). Involve the senses by talking about it out loud, describing the picture, making up a goofy story about it. The weirder the better. Use sound effects. Imagine being in the picture. Trace your finger over shapes in the picture. Draw a rough sketch of the picture on a piece of paper. Instead of merely repeating the fact "3 x 6 = 18" out loud, add a little music, like some jingle on a TV commercial. Neuroscientists say that it's necessary to spend at least eight seconds "paying attention" to form a lasting memory, but who's in a hurry? This is important, so slow down, take time. This isn't the "flash" part yet.

Time is what makes flash cards work. Only practice for a short period of five to fifteen minutes, maximum. Concentrate on the flash cards. First look at the side that asks the question "3 x 6 = ?" and try to remember the answer. Then turn it over and study the picture and repeat the entire phrase "3 x 6 = 18" out loud. Go over these seven cards three times in each practice session. Then stop, and don't practice again for two to twenty-four hours. Less than two hours is too little. Like an athlete, the brain must rest between exercises. It's part of the process. More than twenty-four hours is too much, though; the brain will forget too much.

Once a particular card is learned, set it aside and replace it with a new one to be learned. Success leads to confidence, and as more cards are mastered, there is a sense of relief and even fun. It becomes more of a game.

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