One times One equals One

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Zoe is in third grade and she's learning multiplication.

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I remember when I was in elementary school and the time came to learn the same thing. All of the students, including me, were very nervous. We felt that we were moving up to the big kids math. Then I remember waiting in a single file line outside of our math class and our friends who just learned the very first lesson in multiplication facts came out of class.... we anxiously waited to hear.

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"Soooooo?" we asked.

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"Easy as pie!" they all said.

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That was the theme of the day.

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We were all SO worried about this time's table, but it was easy as pie.

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Or so I thought. When it came time to memorize all these facts, it wasn't as easy as pie for me. That was the day math became a little harder than it had been.

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All of my children sailed through math up until third grade, then they sputtered a tad, but got through it way more easily than I did.

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And here I sit, with my baby, my last little one sputtering with the multiplication facts.

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So recently when we had Family Night, I decided to make it all about Zoe and the times table. I asked all of the experts to let Zoe know their multiplication tricks and tips.

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Nolan told Zoe about holding down whichever number finger that you want to multiply by 9. She received those sort of tips.

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Then Naomi shared something her teacher taught her back in her day. (a whole 2 years ago)

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"To remember 6 x 6 just think of two 6's going on a hike in the desert and forgetting water. What do you have? Thirsty sixes..... Thirrrrrsssty sixes.....get it? Thirty six?"

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Then a few tumble weeds blew through the family room.

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It worked for her though! And Zoe's doing much better.

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* photo from Bing