Math Rockets Multiplication

1. Read each multiplication problem.
2. Work out the product in your head before you look at the rockets.
3. Tap the rocket that carries the correct answer.
4. Finish ten problems to complete a level; there are eight levels.

Math Rockets Multiplication turns times-table practice into a rocket launch. Each problem comes with several rockets carrying possible answers, and you tap the one with the correct product. With ten problems per level and eight levels in all, it offers steady repetition, which is exactly what makes multiplication facts stick. Working the answer out in your head before looking at the rockets builds real recall instead of guessing. It's aimed at young learners and plays with a mouse or touchpad.

The skill behind the game is recall: knowing that 7 × 6 is 42 without counting up to it. Two ideas make that easier. First, learn the tables in stages: start with the 1s, 2s, 5s and 10s, then the 4s and 9s, and leave the 6s, 7s and 8s for last. Second, swap the order: 7 × 6 and 6 × 7 are the same fact, so a 10 × 10 table holds only 55 different facts, not 100. Say the product aloud before you tap. If it will not come, count in steps (6, 12, 18, 24, 30, 36, 42) and try that fact again later.