Times Tables the Fun Way: Book for Kids: A Picture Method of Learning the Multiplication Facts [Spiral-bound]

Judy Liautaud (Author), Dave Rodriguez (Author), Val Chadwick Bagley (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1999

Memorization of the multiplication facts is fun and easy with this colorful and clever book of cartoons and stories. Children learn to associate the numbers with the characters in the story. To teach 4x4, the story tells about Bart who loves to go hang gliding and can't wait until he turns 16 so he can get his driver's license and drive his 4 by 4. Children easily remember once the story is learned. The caption below the story says: Remember: you have to be 16 to drive a 4x4.

There are cartoons and stories for all the difficult facts, ie. the 3's, 4's, 6's, 7's, and 8's. Tricks are are used to teach the easier ones ie. 1's, 2's, 5's, and 9's. Kids love the stories and will never forget "You have to be 16 to drive a 4 by 4, (4x4). Over 500,000 copies have been sold to schools in the US since 1992.

Editorial Reviews

Review

A recent study with 562 students showed that standardized math scores significantly increased after learning Times Tables The Fun Way. -- Visual Learning Method Laboratory Report, February 2005, Mark Haugen

About the Author

Judy Liautaud has written over 20 books, music CD's, games, and software for the educational market. She started City Creek Press in 1992 when the first book was written: Times Tables the Fun Way to help students at the learning center who had difficulty memorizing the multiplication facts.

Product Details

• Spiral-bound: 88 pages
• Publisher: City Creek Press; 3rd Revised edition (April 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1883841437
• ISBN-13: 978-1883841430
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 7.3 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (86 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #9,186 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #71 in Books > Children's Books > Science, Nature & How It Works > Math

More About the Author

Judy Liautaud has authored and written 19 books for children with the intention of making learning fun and effective. She started writing in 1992 with the start of her publishing company, City Creek Press, Inc. Her books include, Times Tables the Fun Way, which teaches children to visualize the number characters of each multiplication fact with the help of a cartoon and story. This makes learning and retrieval fun and easy. She has also written Addition the Fun Way Book for Kids, Story Problems the Fun Way, Teacher's Manuals, Student Workbooks, and Posters. She has designed the popular software program Times Alive and authored several songs to learn multiplication included on the music cd, Songs to Remember Times Tables. Judy also designed the Magnetic Math Board with play characters so students can recreate the times stories from Times Tables the Fun Way with magnetic characters and a story board. Judy loves reading, writing, biking and swimming and spending time with her six grandchildren. She is the owner of City Creek Press, Inc. which can be viewed at the website: citycreek.com.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

111 of 111 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars It Works! July 20, 1999

By [e-mail]

Format:Spiral-bound

My son, a rising fourth-grader who has ADHD and poor memory skills, strugged all last spring in school trying to memorize his math tables. We drilled and drilled, made flash cards, bought a times-table placemat - all to little avail. Even if he got some of the facts to stick with him through the test the next day, by the next week, he had forgotten them. The only ones he could remember were ones we had done some kind of word or image association with, and I was daunted by the idea that I needed to make up an association for EVERY MATH FACT. Then I found out that the Rodriguezes had done that with this book, so I bought it. And I can tell you unequivocally, it works. Using a combination of a somewhat silly picture and a story to go with it, the child uses visualization and association to remember the fact. It especially appeals to kids who have strong verbal/language skills and are creative.

My son learns one math table a week (working only 1/2 hour at a time three days a week), and the next week, he still knows them. AND, he thinks it's really fun to see what the next picture and story will be.

Boy, was this worth it (and boy, was all that drilling that made everybody miserable last spring NOT worth it) to buy this book. A special note, the spiral edition has heavy-coated pages, so it can stand up to plenty of use, which it will get when we use it for our younger child and lend it out to teachers with our recommendation that they obtain one for their classroom. Many thanks to the Rodriguezes for helping us get out of the multiplication table hassle we were in.

29 of 29 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars I thought they were hopeless! May 3, 1999

By [e-mail]

Format:Spiral-bound

I teach 5th grade and thought 2 of my kids would never learn their times tables. I thought I had tried everything. Their parents were baffled. Then I found this book and presto! my two kids learned in no time at all! One of the kids is a resource kid too, with almost no memory skills. The book is way overpriced but it is so effective that it's totally worth every penny!

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellant system for slow learners ! February 5, 2002

By A Customer

Format:Spiral-bound

I have a 4th grader who has ADHD and a learning disability. One full year after learning this system, he still remembers the stories and remembers all his times tables. Thanks to this system, he is now on grade level.

The system works because the stories are DETAILED. Having an interesting story read to them and reinforced with a simple memory system, makes the math facts stick.

Those who order the book, take one look, and send it back without giving it a try... well.. you gave back a system that really does work.

How else would I have a 4th grader who can sound off his times tables in seconds, yet has to think for a minute about his simple addition facts? I am ordering the addition system immediately !