September 16, 2008

Dear Parents,

As you may have noticed, our 4^th Grade students have begun to receive homework that includes learning or reviewing their multiplication tables. Although multiplication tables up to 10’s are something that is covered in 3^rd Grade, I feel it is imperative that our students continue to solidify that knowledge this year. Also, students should begin to work on memorizing their 11’s and 12’s.

The process for using the practice worksheets that are being sent home is to have the students complete one side at a time, untimed, then to go back over the sheets to assess which ones need to be learned or reviewed. The goal is to have all students proficient in all tables up to 12 as they would be with site words such as the, and, and if. Because students process these types things at different speeds, timing students may not be an adequate measure of proficiency, although students should not have to sit and think about answers for more than a few seconds on average. Once it is determined which tables need review, further practice can be done by making flashcards, orally, or written repetition.

This practice can and should be made fun and challenging for students with involvement from parents or siblings, and it should only take a few minutes a night in order to make sufficient progress if the student does not know these important math facts already. In the near future, these facts will be the foundation of much of the math the students will be learning and having this information readily available for immediate recall will make more complicated math procedures that much easier.

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or comments about this topic, and thank you for support.

Sincerely,

Perry T. Tkachuk