3 Times Table Five-Day Plan

About 10 minutes a day. Each day names the facts to practice and one thing to do away from the screen. Tick the box when the day is done.

1. Day 1: the first half

   Say 3 x 1 to 3 x 6 out loud, then skip count by 3s: 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18.

   Tip: Find a double and add one more: 3 x 6 is 6 + 6 + 6, or 12 plus another 6, which is 18. Clapping in threes helps the rhythm stick.

   Away from the screen: Clap in threes while counting: clap, clap, CLAP on 3, 6, 9, 12, 15 and 18. Then do it a little faster.

2. Day 2: the second half and the turnarounds

   Say 3 x 7 to 3 x 12, then flip each one: 7 x 3, 8 x 3 and 9 x 3 have the same answers.

   Pattern: Add the digits of any answer and you always get a multiple of 3. For 27, 2 + 7 is 9, which is in the table.

   Away from the screen: Draw triangles on scrap paper and count their corners in threes, from seven triangles up to twelve.

3. Day 3: the 3 hardest facts

   Say 3 x 7, 3 x 8 and 3 x 12 five times each, then go through the whole table once in mixed order.

   Why these: Three sevens and three eights are the facts children forget most. Link 3 x 7 = 21 to a birthday or a jersey number to make it stick.

   Away from the screen: Build 3 x 7, 3 x 8 and 3 x 12 with blocks in three rows. Your child says each answer before counting the blocks.

4. Day 4: the whole table, mixed

   Ask all 12 facts of the 3 times table in mixed order, out loud. Repeat any miss at the end.

   Away from the screen: Bounce a ball and say one 3s fact with each catch, in mixed order. A miss means say that fact again on the next bounce.

5. Day 5: the self-check

   Answer the 12 questions below on paper, with no help and no timer.

   Away from the screen: Keep the answer key face down until the end. Answer the 12 questions with a pencil, then check them together. Practice each miss three more times.

   1. 3 × 4 =
   2. 10 × 3 =
   3. 3 × 6 =
   4. 3 × 12 =
   5. 8 × 3 =
   6. 3 × 3 =
   7. 3 × 5 =
   8. 1 × 3 =
   9. 3 × 2 =
   10. 3 × 9 =
   11. 11 × 3 =
   12. 3 × 7 =

Zoorithmetic https://zoorithmetic.com/