Q&A for How to Memorize Times Tables

Here's how it works: Hold all ten fingers out in front of you with your palms facing away from you. Start counting from your left little finger. Count until you reach the number by which you're multiplying nine. Hold that finger down. Your answer's first digit will be the number of fingers still up to the left of the finger you're holding down. Your answer's second digit will be the number of fingers still up to the right of the finger you're holding down, For example, to multiply 9 times 6, count to six on your fingers starting with your left little finger. The sixth finger is your right thumb. Hold that down. Your answer's first digit is 5 (five fingers still up to the left of your right thumb). Your answer's second digit is 4 (four fingers still up to the right of your right thumb). Answer: 54.

There's no trick. First you memorize. Then you periodically review what you've memorized.

Anyone with a brain (and that includes you) can memorize things. Maybe it will take awhile, but you can do it. Buy or borrow a set of flash cards for multiplying single digits. Those cards were designed for precisely this purpose, and they've helped millions of students memorize the times tables. If you have to go through the stack of cards a thousand times, so be it. That's better than trying to get through school without memorizing the tables, which would make school much more miserable for you.

(-7) multiplied by (-8) equals (+56).

Yes, you should have a deep understanding of how numbers add. This way, you can be familiar with multiplication.

You can try improving calculating speed by practicing. There are plenty of worksheets online you can find that might be your level. If this does not help, talk to a school counselor about options for extended test-taking time to aid with slow comprehension.