Assessing multiplication facts gives some of us chills…and not the good kind! Do you have a childhood trauma story that starts with, “When I was in third grade we had to memorize our multiplication facts….” We all have experienced timed tests where we had to race against the clock to complete as many problems as possible or get a perfect score to climb our way up Multiplication Mountain. But as educators, it’s time to shift our focus away from these anxiety-inducing assessments and towards more engaging and effective ways of assessing multiplication facts.
First and foremost, make sure you’ve done a thorough job giving your students a solid foundation for understanding multiplication and strategies for different types of multiplication facts BEFORE you start assessing whether students have the facts memorized or not. The lessons in this multiplication unit are highly engaging and offer tons of strategies and practice activities.
Once you’ve taught all the factors, you can start assessing multiplication facts. Here are some fun and creative ideas to assess multiplication fluency in your classroom without resorting to the stress of timed tests.
Goal Setting & Progress Tracking
Have your students set realistic goals for themselves and track their progress on a chart in the classroom. For example, their measurements could be to improve by one fact per week–if they got 5 out of 20 correct last week, celebrate when they get 6 out of 20 correct this week. As a teacher, you could use colored stickers or stars each time they achieve their weekly goal, leading to a sense of accomplishment and progress. Also, continuously communicating with each student about their progress helps to promote accountability and focus on specific areas of improvement.
Technology-Based Assessment
Incorporating technology into students’ learning has become an increasingly common practice in recent years. Multiplication applications such as Math Duel, Prodigy, and Times Tables Rockstars are readily available on devices like mobile phones, tablets, and desktop computers. Websites like xtramath, Freckle, and 99Math are growth-promoting tools that students could use to take self-assessments and track progress in a gamified form of learning.
Create a Multiplication Museum
What better way to show off multiplication mastery than to create a museum? Ask students to display their knowledge of multiplication by creating posters, models, and dioramas of their favorite multiplication facts or strategies. This activity encourages creativity, collaboration, and critical thinking, and students will take ownership of their learning.
Peer Quizzing
Peer quizzing is a fantastic method of assessing multiplication facts without causing stress to the student. As students of a similar age group, they are bound to be more comfortable sharing with each other while still receiving valuable feedback. Take advantage of this by pairing students to answer multiplication questions for each other using these free flashcards and quiz pages. This method allows both students to work equally in a safe and relaxed learning environment.
Create a Multiplication Book
Another fun way to assess multiplication facts is to have them create a multiplication facts pattern book. Students can show you they know their multiplication facts and explore the patterns that the facts create on a 0-100 number chart at the same time. This activity encourages creativity and critical thinking while also assessing multiplication facts in a subtle manner.
Two-Tone Tables
Here’s a colorful idea for assessing multiplication facts! Give each student a blank multiplication chart and have them use two different colors of markers or colored pencils. Set a timer for using color #1 and have students fill in as much of the multiplication chart as possible. At the end of the timer, have students switch to color #2. Have students set an improvement goal for themselves to get more and more of the multiplication table done in color #1 each time you do the activity. Have students write the date on each table and keep them so students can easily see how much they have improved over time.
There are so many fun and engaging ways for assessing multiplication facts that don’t include timed tests. By incorporating creative projects and games you can keep your students motivated and engaged while ensuring they are mastering the essential skill of multiplication. Remember, education is not just about memorization but also about creativity, problem-solving, and critical thinking skills. By incorporating these fun ideas for assessing multiplication facts into your teaching, you can both challenge and engage your students while keeping the learning process enjoyable and stress-free.