How I did it: Found a text on elementry education in mathmatic, read it through. Thought it was a horrible way to learn and set about detailing what made more sense to me. I did discover the Sieve of Eratosthenes, which while intended for finding primes helps me visualise multiplication tables.  Nine times a number is one row down one space back.

Once I worked that out I started to practice counting by single digit numbers to times tens. eight, sixteen, twenty four...

I also realised that with N x 10=N0 (if N=8 then N0=80) then five times N is half that So with N, Nx5 and Nx10 it becomes far easer to figure the value of something. Say Nx7 is between Nx5 and Nx10 so multiply Nx5 and add N twice more, then check your math by Subtracting N three times from Nx10. It's really easier then it sounds.

Realising that division can be rewritten as multiplication, made that just a matter of translation.

Lessons & tips: Find out what doesn't work for you and why and then write out what you thing would work better.

Jan 07, 2009, 12:14PM PST | 0 comments | 1 cheer