The Three Times Tables

Making the Rhythm

Stamping out the three times tables becomes possible with the aid of a strong solid stick which is held in one hand. Then a three rhythm stomp can be achieved: e.g. left leg STAMP, right leg STAMP, and right hand with stick hits down on to a solid flooring. When done outside a suitably noisy solid base (e.g. a slab of wood or concrete) will need to be found so that the stick movement can be heard as a clear and equally strong part of the stamping rhythm. The author also adds the ringing of a small bell. The bell is simultaneously rung every time a multiplication of three is vocalised and during the chanting of the multiplication. The bell is held in the person’s free hand or added as an accompaniment by an observer. For example this could be seen as: when the right hand stamps the stick, the left hand also rings the bell, and the voice shouts out the respective number reached in the verbal counting.

Using Coloured Bricks

A similar theme related to building the multiplication tables is illustrated in the following pictures,. This activity starts with a box of coloured bricks. The bricks used in the pictures are 18 bricks of each of the six different colours. In this set the bricks that are placed as the tenth brick in the positions of 10, 20, 30 etc are marked with a dot sticker (on the top and on the side) to mark the special significance of creating groups of ten within our base ten number system. The bricks marking ten’s are also placed in a special forward position. A basket is used to collect the correct number of bricks for each added multiple for example if constructing the six times tables, six bricks of the same colour would be selected from the main box of bricks and placed in basket. Then the ten’s bricks can be marked with stickers as required or if the bricks are already marked, a marked brick can be chosen or taken in exchange for a plain brick as required. Ideally there would be ten different coloured bricks and enough of each colour to successfully construct all the multiplication tables using permanently marked bricks for the ten’s places.
The following illustrates a line of bricks laid out as a presentation of the three times tables. The brick that completes a set of ten can be marked with stickers and/or pulled out of line. This gives a clear visual presentation of the number answers presented in the three times tables, as illustrated below:-

A number-line and a set of multiplication tables cards can also be provided as an added extra option for this activity.

The Three Times Table as a Tower

In this tower the black bricks represent the completion of a group of ten. This makes it much easier to see the value of each brick and the total value of bricks used to complete each additional row of three. Thus seven rows 7×3=21. When playing the balance game of removing bricks the numerical value of the removed brick can also be identified.

A four times table brick tower can be built in the same way as the three times table illustrated above.

Three Dimensional Construction of the Three Times Table

A Three Times Tables Wall

The multiplication tables can be presented as a three dimensional construction built as a wall with a ten brick base. Building the three times tables has a particularly pleasing element of discovery as the bricks are manipulated into a visual 3d structure.
The same system can also be built as a wall with a ten brick base. The following pictures present a simple construction of the three times tables.

The three times tables completed up to 10 x 3 = 30. The coloured pattern presented by the front view can be transferred onto a 2D coloured chart
The diagram above goes from left to right on each row but if the rows were built in alternate directions this need not be considered wrong. However, it is not recommended as an illustrative example because the colours and numbers do not make clear patterns that give supporting information: i.e. the blues in the lower left hand corner present a visual collective of five, and the 1 is not horizontally below the 11 and the 21 and it cannot be associated with the traditional 1 to 100 square number chart.

If the coloured sequence of squares is copied onto tracing paper when the paper is turned over the three times table sequence can be seen in the traditional top to bottom, left to right structure associated with a traditional number square and can be numbered accordingly as shown below:-


The three limes table shown on the 100 chart above can be built in blocks of threaded beads.

This system of presentation can be used to illustrate division. For example if the sum is 26 divided by three the ese blocks

Rhyming Multiplication game

Example:- Three times table (The words in the brackets are an optional extra)
One, two, three, (once three is three or 1×3=3), go climb a tree!¬
Four, five, six, (two threes are six)pick up the sticks or now you’re in a fix
Seven, eight, nine, (three threes are nine) lets go out to dine/ the weather it is fine
Ten, eleven, twelve, (four threes are twelve) lets dig and delve.
Thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, (five threes are fifteen) now where have you been!?
Sixteen, seventeen, eighteen, (six threes are eighteen) and what have you seen?
Nineteen, twenty, twenty one, (seven threes are twenty one) did you see Mary’s Mum?
Twenty two, twenty three, twenty four, (eight threes are twenty four)someone is knocking at the door.
Twenty five, twenty six, twenty seven, (nine threes are twenty seven) is there time to go to heaven?
Twenty eight, twenty nine, thirty, (ten threes are thirty), certainly not you are much too dirty!

There are many creative rhyming answers e.g. either a single word (three/tree) – this could also be a nonsense rhyming word, a short phrase (What can you see?) or a story (It’s time for your tea.). The table rhymes can be created by an individual person or a group and recited either as a single piece of prose or spontaneously created by a group who take it in turns to add the next line when their turn comes around. The rhyming tables can be spoken and/or recorded in numerical form 3 x 3 = 9 (nine socks on the line) with drawn pictures to represent the rhyming word/phrase at the end of each line. For those who know their tables and can easily recall any element of each table this activity presents a creative verbal challenge, for those that are not expert at their tables this activity also challenges the mind to address automatic recall of the mathematical tables from a new light-hearted perspective.

This activity can be organised as a group activity as a three part structure where by one person or group takes on each of the parts of recitation presented in the colour code shown in the text above.