| Shakuntala Devi is a maths prodigy often referred to as a human calculator.
Shakuntra visited many countries showing her abilities to thousands of admirers.
Shakuntra is a role model for all of us in showing us how the right mind-set in regard to numbers can help in teaching maths and, as it is a particular focus of this article, times tables to your children.
An example of her skills can be found in the record books.
She was asked to multiply two thirteen figure numbers together and came up with the correct answer which was 18,947,668,177,995,426,462,773,730. Wow!
Quick as a flash in only 28 seconds she had the answer and had written it down. Amazing!
She says in her own words “At three I fell in love with numbers. It was sheer ecstasy for me to do sums and get the right answers. Numbers where toys with which I could play.”
This love of numbers by a maths prodigy can help us as teachers and parents realize what we need to instill to help our children be the best they can be in maths and of course the times tables.
If your children loved numbers and loved maths do you think they would perform better at school and in maths in general and of course in knowing the answers to the times tables?
Your children can learn to love numbers through learning the times tables.
It is possible for them to have the pleasure of getting the right answers instantly and then be motivated to do more and more maths.
The way to encourage your children to learn the times tables well is to use a system of teaching and learning that uses your children's imagination and vivid clear images of the times tables, with all this linked together.
We all carry views in our minds as to what a prodigy is like as a person. Having met Shakuntra a few years ago I can tell you that she was a wonderful unpretentious person.
In fact she was an ordinary everyday person as well as a genius.
One of the aspects of being a maths genius is that she sees the patterns behind numbers.
One such pattern to do with the eleven times table is taken here from her book – Figuring.
Take the sum 33 x 11. The quick way to do this is to add the 3 and the 3 to make 6, put this number 6 in the middle of the number 33. The answer is 3- 6- 3. That is 363.
Learning patterns makes maths sums easy.
Children can feel good about maths, be motivated to love numbers, and learn maths well when they are having fun and see the patterns that make maths easier.
Times tables can be so easy to learn with the right method and result in children being motivated to learn even more maths. Your children can love maths just like Shakuntala Devi.
For more information on times tables, go to www.timestablesmaths.com. |
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