Quick Twelve Times

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Nov 18, 2002

Children usually know the role played by twelve in our life. They know that the clock shows twelve hours and the dial shows them. They see that a calendar has twelve pages and each page shows days and dates of a month of the total twelve of a year. While shopping they see that some food items like eggs, bagels and doughnuts are sold in dozens, i.e. groups of twelve.

By listening to adults they understand that a group of twelve items is referred to as "a dozen". They never forget that Christmas has twelve days and comes in the twelfth month of the year! As they grow up they come to know that the zodiac has twelve signs. They also get to know that after completing twelfth grade they can take admission to a degree course. There are many more associations of twelve, which we should encourage children to find out.

Since the number twelve has a very strong association with our daily life, children find it very interesting to work with and are always eager to learn the arithmetic facts related to it.

The simple pattern shown in the figure to the left-hand side is the first most interesting thing about the multiplication table of twelve.

At this stage if you ask them to find out a method to multiply any number by twelve quickly, they are happy to do it. Having tried multiplication by eleven they know how to use the distributive property of multiplication over addition and readily relate it with the multiplication by twelve. For example, ask them to find out twelve times forty-one. They will do it as shown below.

Now our job is simply to guide them to make it more mechanical as was done in the case of twelve. This they do almost on their own. First, let them write out the steps as shown here.

Now, let them link all the steps into a time saving way, as shown here.

See if they can solve a slightly more complex problem like, twelve times forty-six. In this case, there will be a carry over. You will find that they handle this with proper logic. With this preparation they are ready to solve any complex problem like, 12 times 2643!

In some of the forthcoming articles we will see how children can be taught the operation of division. This operation will be very useful in finding out three, four, five, six, seven, and eight times of larger numbers quickly, which we have not tried so far.

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The copyright of the article Quick Twelve Times in Math for Kids is owned by Vidya Narayan Wadadekar . Permission to republish Quick Twelve Times in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.