← Atlas of Difficulties
S-16
The child can't memorize the multiplication table
Type: operational
What the research says
Not knowing the addition and subtraction tables or the multiplication and division tables is part of the symptom picture of dyscalculia. According to the neuropsychological concept, underdeveloped mnestic (memory) processes are one of the mechanisms of dyscalculia.
Lalaeva R.I. Dyscalculia in Children, pp. 23–25 (2005)
An elementary way of doing arithmetic operations (children rely not on rules but on external actions and do the operations by hand) is a symptom of operational dyscalculia. In this case, thinking operations are mostly concrete in nature.
Baryaeva L.B., Kondratyeva S.Yu. Dyscalculia in Children, p. 27 (2013)
Exercises at home — free
Multiplication you can see: rows of coins
Builds: Understanding multiplication as equal groups — memorizing through a visual image
You need: coins or counters of the same size, a sheet of paper
- Lay out 3 rows of 4 coins. Ask: “How many are there altogether?”
- The child counts any way they like — how doesn't matter yet.
- Show how it's written: “3 rows of 4 is 3×4 = 12.”
- Cover one row with your hand: “And how many now?” — the child says 8 without counting them one by one.
- Repeat with other combinations: 2×5, 4×3, 3×6.
- Goal: the child sees a rectangle of coins and names the product before having time to count.
Lalaeva R.I. Dyscalculia in Children, 2005, ch. 3
Without help
- All written calculations require counting one by one — they slow down dramatically
- Errors pile up when solving multi-step problems