The 2 Times Table

This section illustrates multi-sensory activities designed to encourage:-

Multi-sensory integration,
Self-directed learning,
Mathematical foundation skills,
Conceptual understanding,
Movement and creative endeavour.

Stamping out the tables encourages enthusiasm, rhythm and the faster speed of thought associated with automatic recall. For this the participants simple stamp and count aloud in pairs recalling each multiplication as it arises. The author encourages a left to right sequencing E.g. Stamp left leg and say ONE stamp right leg and say TWO then chant ONCE TIMES TWO IS TWO. Left leg stamps the THREE and right leg stamps the FOUR followed by the chant TWO TIMES TWO IS FOUR etc until the table is completed at TEN TIMES TWO IS TWENTY.

To expand the experience into random recall of the tables participants can be given a secret number (1-10) and then going around the circle or along the line each person stamps their correct sequence of stamps while the observers complete the rhythm by chanting the appropriate multiplication in full i.e. if the person stamps out 18 the observers say 9 x 2=18. Alternatively each participant is given a secret number (1-10) and the table is illustrated in numerical order where by each participant awaits his/her turn to respond without knowing who is going to chant the multiplication before their own or after their own two times chant. This requires each participant to focus on a specific element of the multiplication table e.g. if a participant has the number seven their turn comes when the six times two chant is completed.

Projects and topics related to two legged animals e.g. ducks or chickens, eggs and egg boxes.

• Twin egg cups (these can be home made out of egg boxes or small contained shapes) and accompanying eggs (pretend or real),makes a fun three dimensional kinaesthetic presentation of the two times tables.

The two times table wall gives an easy and colourful pattern.

• Egg boxes for Ten (not twelve) eggs in each box can illustrate the two times tables. Hard boiled eggs (or ping pong balls) of two alternative colours can be placed in the egg box. Each full box illustrates a ten and a full box contains five pairs of two.

Counting in two’s is an important and useful tool that can easily be encouraged with two penny piece coins. They are easy to stack into groups of ten and if required they can be marked with spots or accompanied by cards as shown below.

Counting in twos is not too difficult but relating this to multiplication means knowing how many two’s have been counted! The above activities present this information in a kinaesthetic rhythm of body movement (stamping) or as the creation of a visual pattern.

To calculate the multiplier one must halve the answer; e.g. 16 divided by two or in half gives 8 therefore 8 x 2 = 16

The circles below are drawn in pairs as horizontal figure eights with each circle meeting at the centre point. The numbers represent a verbal accompaniment and the change of colour after the completion of each pair can be recorded as the two times tables in numerical form as shown on the right of the pattern.

Similarly the fish below are drawn with two lines and two dots forming each pair. They offer another creative presentation of the two times tables which can be drawn and coloured up to ten pairs to represent the whole table 1x through to 10x. This drawing activity also presents odd and even numbers seen in the two respective columns.

Finally the patterns below can be drawn as a continuous line. Verbally counting the loops and colouring the loops can add further illustrations of the two times tables.

The process of doubling can also be created by this pattern e.g. 2×4:-

The Process of Doubling

The simplest way of calculating any 2 x calculation is with the process of doubling.
Thus 2 x 8 = 8 + 8 =16 = 8 x 2.               2 x 54 = 108  Similarly 54 x 2 = 54 twice =108
Once the doubling of numbers has been confidently established this can facilitate working from the two times tables to get the answers to the four times and from the four times to get the eight times tables, and similarly from the three times to get the six times tables.

This system of doubling one of the numbers within a multiplication and doubling the previous answer [e.g. 3×6 =18 could become either 6×6 =(18doubled)=36 or 3×12 =(18doubled)=36], can be illustrated with concrete illustrations:-