Illustrated Multiplication Rhymes
Multiple Learning Styles for Times Table Memorization
Visual-spatial, kinesthetic, and auditory-sequential strategies help students memorize mulitplication facts using different learning modalities.
Learning the multiplication tables is a rite of passage for all math students and an important rote skill for higher math and science learning. Appealing to visual-spatial, kinesthetic, and auditory-sequential learning styles will help students to learn the "times tables" more quickly.
Illustrated Multiplication Rhymes
This activity combines elements of visual-spatial (pictorial), kinesthetic (movement), and auditory-sequential (oral/aural, rote) learning.
Materials:
- 8 1/2 X 11 card stock
- three-hole punch
- colorful yarn
- computer and word processing software
- illustrating materials (markers, crayons, colored pencils, or construction paper with scissors and glue)
- overhead projector
Teaching the Lesson:
- Divide students into pairs. Ask students to work with their partners to create vivid rhymes to help them to remember all of the facts for a given number. For instance, students may create rhymes for all of the seven's tables. Example: "Hamburger on a bun... 7 X 3 is 21."
- Next, have students create a visual image on the card stock to go with the rhyme. For instance, for the above example, students might draw or cut out a hamburger with the numbers "7" and "3" on the buns and "21" on the burger. Students should place one image on each piece of card stock and leave room at the bottom for the corresponding rhyme.
- Ask students to type up their rhymes using a larger font (14 or 16) on word processing software. Students should print out their rhymes and cut them out individually to glue at the bottom of the related visual image.
- Once an image and rhyme have been created for each multiplication fact, create a decorative cover.
- Use the three-hole punch to punch uniform holes on each page.
- Place the multiplication pages in order and thread a piece of yarn through each hole and tie each into a bow.
- Have students share their books with the class.
- As a class, vote on the best rhymes from each book. Write those rhymes on the overhead projector or white board.
- Divide students into small groups for the purpose of creating rhythmic hand movements or dance steps correspond with the favorite rhymes (Classroom management strategy: Assign different groups different multiplication facts so that all of the facts are covered.
- Ask groups to teach their kinesthetic multiplication rhymes to the class.
Practice the tables for a few minutes daily until all students have mastered their multiplication facts. Keep the illustrated books in the classroom library for students to peruse when they are finished with their class work.
Visual-spatial, kinesthetic, and auditory-sequential strategies can also be applied to reading lessons. When teachers use a variety of teaching styles, learning becomes more accessible to all students!
