Okay so last Tuesday I decided to tackle the 24 times table because my kid needed help with it for school stuff, and honestly? I looked at that huge chart and went, “Nope.” Way too many numbers buzzing around.
I grabbed a notebook first. Big mistake. Just writing it out once felt pointless. My hand got tired after like, 15 rows, and nothing stuck in my head. It was just copying, pure torture. So I threw that notebook across the room. Seriously.
Digging Around For Tricks
Right, needed a better way. Started Googling stuff like “easy way to learn times tables” but mostly got nonsense. Then I remembered a video title about patterns or something, didn’t watch it, just got me thinking. Maybe break it down? So I stared hard at the numbers on the chart stuck on my fridge. Here’s what clicked:
- Last Digit Pattern: Look at the answers: 24, 48, 72, 96, 120… See those last digits? 4, 8, 2, 6, 0. Then it repeats! 144, 168, 192, 216, 240… 4, 8, 2, 6, 0 again! Boom! So knowing the next last digit kinda tells you where you are.
- The Doubles: 24 x 2 is 48, right? But 24 x 4 isn’t just double 48, it’s double PLUS another 48? No. Wait. 24 x 4 is actually 24 x 2 (48) doubled again? Yes! 48 doubled is 96. And 24 x 8 is 96 doubled (192). Felt smarter for a second.
- Halves Are Easier: Stuck on 24 x 5? Think of 24 x 10 first – easy, 240. Then just chop that in half! Bam, 120. Half of 240 is definitely easier than calculating 24×5 raw.
- Add On What You Know: Know 24 x 6 is 144? Need 24 x 7? Don’t multiply again, just take that 144 and add 24! Gets you 168. Way faster than the whole thing.
Trying To Actually Remember The Damn Thing
Okay, patterns are cool, but I still had to memorize the answers. Flashcards? Too old school. Chanting out loud? Nope, neighbors might think I lost it. Then I saw this tip: Group them in chunks.
Didn’t just sit there staring at the whole chart. Focused on little groups:
- Learned 1-5 together: 24, 48, 72, 96, 120. Chanted them walking to the kitchen.
- Then 6-10: 144, 168, 192, 216, 240. Said ’em while waiting for coffee. Used the “last digit pattern” trick here big time.
- 11 and 12 were last: 264, 288. Used the “add on” trick for 11 (24×10=240 +24=264) and “half of 24×6” felt too messy, so brute forced 288. Whatever works.
Practiced saying each chunk a few times randomly during the day – folding laundry, staring at the shower wall. The scattered practice felt less like study hell.
The Fifth Trick? Give Up (Partly)
Look, memorizing everything perfectly? Forget it. It’s 2023. I figured knowing the main patterns and tricks to quickly figure out any answer I forget is the real win. If the patterns click and you remember how to build up from a nearby fact (like using the doubling trick for x4 and x8, or adding 24 for the next number), you’re golden. Why kill yourself memorizing x11 and x12 when you can calculate them in two seconds?
So yeah, finally managed to mostly rattle off the 24s without crying. Kid quizzed me yesterday. Messed up 24×9 (said 206, facepalm, it’s 216 obviously). But caught it quick by adding 24 to 192. Trick number 4 saved my butt. Would I call these methods “simple”? Kinda. Definitely faster than just writing it out until your hand falls off.