How to Conquer the Times Table Chart & a Full Inbox the Same Way!

Are you a parent currently in the trenches of trying to help your children master their multiplication tables? If so,  you are most likely all too familiar with the ineffectiveness of rote learning through repetition. Each day you go through endless flashcard drills but never really seem to make any real progress. One day your child may seem to "know" the answer to their times tables, but the next day they completely forget--this is especially true when it comes to the dreaded, upper times tables. Today, I want to share with you a short story about how I tamed my “inbox monster” — and how you can use the same tactics to tame the “multiplication monster” when trying to teach your child the times table chart. 

My Nightmare Inbox Story:
Until recently, I had exactly 7,233 emails in my inbox.  For the past two years, I kept thinking I would devote a weekend to exercise my power of the delete button and FINALLY tame the monster. Sadly, that weekend never happened... The job just seemed too overwhelming! I spent a little time each day deleting new emails, but I could never get ahead. I was stuck in an endless loop of repeating the same thing each day while not actually making any progress.

Taming the Monster!
A few months ago a friend of mine told me about an email organizing app that would save me time and frustration after an initial hour investment, learning how to use the program. I checked out the website, but wasn’t interested at first, due to not wanting to invest the time. 

My Turning Point!
One morning I looked at that monster of an inbox... and I had enough. It was time to take action! With determination, I sat down and figured out how to manage, delete, and organize my email monster. After several years of stressing about my ever-growing inbox, I finally conquered it! It only took literally an hour of my time.

What do Emails have to do with Conquering a Times Tables Chart?
As co-founder of Times Tales, I’ve heard hundreds of stories from parents saying regardless of how many months (or sometimes years) they spent going over multiplication flashcards and drills, their children could not get their times tables nailed down. Although my “inbox stress” did not amount to near the frustration of watching a child struggle with multiplication, there is a common factor to successfully conquering both “monsters." 

The Solution!

When success wasn’t achieved from doing the same thing over and over, a DIFFERENT APPROACH finally worked. An initial small time commitment, translated into A LOT of TIME SAVED in the future.

Many parents go the rinse and repeat route when it comes  to helping their kids learn the times tables simply because they don't know there is a better way. The good news is, there IS a much more effective way to teach children the times tables, and it makes math fun in the process! Utilizing a mnemonic learning tool (see above picture example of how it works) makes the memorization process easy because it triggers those math facts to actually stick in the memory banks. This visual math system is also a valuable learning tool that students can incorporate in their studies for years to come. Another added benefit is this visual, right-brain system to learn the times tables through stories is proven to be highly effective for students learning disabilities such as dyslexia and dyscalculia.

Once I finally conquered my inbox, I felt a huge sense of relief that lasted all day long! Many children feel that same sense of accomplishment and relief once they finally are able to master the times tables, FOR GOOD! If you are a parent that has a child that is struggling to finally get the times tables nailed down, it’s time to give Times Tales a try! It may be an unconventional approach to learning the times tables, but it really does work AMAZINGLY well!

Watch the video to see how to teach right-brain multiplication for dyslexia and dyscalculia students. 

*For those of you who might be wondering which email app I was referring to, it’s called Sanebox — which for the record, I have absolutely no affiliation to, other than the fact that I LOVE how it has simplified my inbox!!  :)

Jennie Winters is the creator and co-author of the Times Tales®, Pet Math, Memory Triggers, and Zone Cleaning for Kids. Jennie is a veteran homeschool mother to four who now enjoys spending her time writing out-of-the-box educational materials for children. When Jennie isn't developing new products, she enjoys painting, traveling and hanging out by the lake with husband. 

*This blog post was taken from the Trigger Sisters' Newsletter and is intended for the sale and promotion of Times Tales® and related products.