Video:Tips for Multiplying by 4

Transcript:Tips for Multiplying by 4

Hi! I'm Samantha Lake for About.com and today I'm going to show you tips for multiplying by 4. We're here at "Count Me in Tutoring" in Bedford Corners, NY.

Repetition Will Help Students Learn Multiplication

When teaching math, repetition is important. Many worksheets and times tables can be found online. Having a times table is great because children can work with it and practice. The first tip which applies to all multiplication is each problem has a twin; 4 x 5 is the same answer as 5 x 4, which is 20.T he simplest (not necessarily the easiest or the best) way to calculate your multiplications of whole numbers {1,2,3...}, is to perform repeated addition on it. In other words,  2 x 4 = 4 + 4, or 6 x 4 becomes 4 + 4 + 4 + 4 + 4 + 4. Remember this tip to make quick work of multiplication by 4's: 4 x 1 = 4, 4 x 2 = 8, 4 x 3 = 12, 4 x 4 = 16 and 4 x 5 = 20. After that, the pattern repeats itself, so 4 x 6 = 24, 4 x 7 = 28 and so on.

Teach Multiplying With Flash Cards

Another tip everyone should use are flash cards. Have the students make their own and have them shuffle them before the activity; that way, each time the lesson plan will be different. Having students make their own flash cards is a great way to get them involved right from the very beginning. Flash cards are customizable, portable and fun. When practicing the 4's, make sure you use all the cards that have 4 in them. Finally, rhyming is a great way to teach math. For example, "Tell this to the king and queen! 4 x 4 is 16," or, "Use your fingers when you're in a fix. 4 x 9 is 36."

If you follow these easy tips, you will be multiplying by 4's in no time. To learn more about this and other math topics, please visit About.com. Thanks for watching.