Multiplication Tricks

When teaching students their multiplication facts, there are a few important tricks to teach them. 

 

They are listed below:

 

The 9-Rule (for numbers up to ten)

1. Hold your hands in front of you with your fingers spread out.
2. By bending a finger you will find the answer by counting the fingers in front of and after the bent finger.
3. For 9 X 4 bend your third finger down. (9 X 5 would be the fifth finger, your thumb, etc.)
4. You have 3 fingers in front of the bent finger and 6 after the bent finger
5. The three is the tens place number and the 6 is the ones place number. Thus the answer must be 36.
6. This trick works for the 9 times tables up to 10.

 

The 10-Rule (for all numbers)

The product of ANY number multiplied by ten is the number with a zero after it.

• 10 x 2 = 20
• 10 x 7 = 70 
• 10 x 11 = 110
• 10 x 50 = 500
• 10 x 3,000 = 30,000 

 

The 11-Rule #1 (for one digit numbers)

The product of any one digit number times 11 is the number twice.

• 11 x 4 = 44
• 11 x 5 = 55
• 11 x 8 = 88

 

The 11-Rule #2 (for two digit numbers)

This trick is for finding the product of a two digit number times 11. The product will be the first place of the number in the hundreds place, the second place of the number in the third place, and the sum of both numbers in the tens place. When the sum is two digits, add a unit to the hundreds place (see third example) The examples may be more understandable than a written explanation.

• 11 x 12 = 1_2 = 1(1+2)2 = 132
• 11 x 14 = 1_4 = 1(1+4)4 = 154
• 11 x 19 = 1_9 = 1(1+9)9 = 1(10)9 = 209