MathChat

SPICE IT UP!

That’s my advice to teachers and parents who see students getting bored or frustrated as they try to learn their times tables. 

As you help students learn these critical facts, it helps, from time to time — to work on multiplication in a fun and relaxing way.

This is the first in a series of blogposts that make it more pleasurable to learn multiplication facts — by teaching multiplication tricks. Each post will contain a complete lesson plan:  instruction, practice problems, and all answers. 

The first such trick is for multiplying by 5.

TRICK #1:

WHAT THE TRICK LETS YOU DO:  Multiply numbers by 5.

HOW YOU DO IT (EVEN NUMBERS): When multiplying an even number by 5, just take half the value of the even number, then put 0 at the end.  Ta da … that’s your answer.

Example:  5 x 14

Half of 14 is 7.

Put down the 7, then put a 0 after it, and you get 70.

That’s the answer:  5 x 14 = 70.

Can you believe that it’s that easy? Watch how you can do the same feat with larger numbers…

Another example:  5 x 48

Half of 48 is 24.

Put down the 24, then put a 0 after it, and you get 240.

That’s the answer:  5 x 48 = 240.

PRACTICE Set A:  (Answers at bottom)

5 x 8

5 x 16

5 x 4

5 x 28

5 x 36

5 x 84

5 x 468

HOW YOU DO IT (ODD NUMBERS): When multiplying an odd number by 5, first subtract 1 from the odd number, thus making it an even number. Then use the trick (above) for even numbers. And here’s the new thing to know — instead of putting a 0 after the result, put a 5.

Example:  5 x 13

13 – 1 = 12

Half of 12 is 6.

Put down the 6, then put a 5 after it, and you get 65, That’s the answer:

5 x 13 = 65.

Another example: 5 x 29

29 – 1 = 28

Half of 28 is 14.

Put down the 14, then put a 5 after it, and you get 145. That’s the answer:

5 x 29 = 145.

PRACTICE Set B:  (Answers at bottom)

5 x 7

5 x 13

5 x 9

5 x 15

5 x 23

5 x 47

5 x 685

ANSWERS Set A: 

5 x 8  = 40

5 x 16  = 80

5 x 4  =  20

5 x 28  =  140

5 x 36  =  180

5 x 84  =  420

5 x 468  =  2,340

ANSWERS Set B: 

5 x 7  =  35

5 x 13  =  65

5 x 9  =  45

5 x 15  =  75

5 x 23  =  115

5 x 47  =  235

5 x 685  =  3,425