Comments on: I still don’t have the multiplication tables memorized

By: Valerie

Valerie — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 10:41:52 +0000

How happy am I to read this. I am a 58 year old woman and I have been trying all my life to memorize my times tables without success. In school we had to stand up when we had memorized a table and recite it to the class, it was purgatory for me as I would learn it and as soon as i stood up it would fly out of my head, resulting in class giggles and me being devastated.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 17:55:11 +0000

im 15 and still dont know my time tables im good in every other subject but i just cant get this through my head i think if i tell my mom i have a problem she might think im just being lazy

By: Anon

Anon — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 18:49:51 +0000

I’m a PhD student at Berkeley and I happily confess I don’t have it memorized either.

PS. nor my father’s name

By: Dave

Dave — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 21:25:33 +0000

I agree with Elona, but based on much less experience. When I was in high school, I tutored elementary school students. It was so frustrating to me that they understood fractions and other upper elementary concepts perfectly but got low grades and math anxiety because they didn’t know the mult. tables well enough to implement and solve problems.

I think it’s awesome that you’re able to implement and be recognized for your high-level abilities, but I don’t want to see any kids suffer through what I saw if they don’t have to.

(XIIX is not legal?)

By: Elona Hartjes

Elona Hartjes — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 01:11:32 +0000

I’m a special education teacher and give support to all kinds of teenagers who have been identified as having some sort of learning disability.

Of course people can learn how to get around their weaknesses and use their strengths to succeed in life. You obviously have. Congratulations. I mean that sincerely. But, it makes it much more difficult to succeed at school if you can’t learn the specifics that schools expect you to learn.

I think it’s important to remember that succeeding at school doesn’t necessarily translate into succeeding in life. There’s more to it than that.

To be honest, I wish my students could remember their times tables because it would make it easier for them to do the higher level math. I see them struggling with algebra because they don’t know their times tables even though they have a calculator at their finger tips.

PS- my students don’t know their Roman Numerals either

By: Dennis Coxe

Dennis Coxe — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 11:22:37 +0000

I do know my multiplication tables and my social security numbers, but everything else? Forget it! That said, I disagree with your statement that schools “should not be to teach specifics.” I understand the point you are trying to make, which is that we should not try to apply a uniform template to judge all children, but there needs to be a structure around learning and that requires teaching specifics.

By: Sylvie

Sylvie — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 12:01:18 +0000

OMG! I’m not the only one who doesn’t know the multiplication table by heart? I feel so much better now.

By: Daniel Lemire

Daniel Lemire — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 04:54:04 +0000

Sudarshan, your wish is granted:

http://code.google.com/p/lemurbitmapindex/

By: Sudarshan

Sudarshan — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 04:21:29 +0000

On an entirely different note could you please make that C++ code available.
Thanks

By: Peter Turney

Peter Turney — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 22:52:36 +0000

I’m with you on several of these items. There are very few things that I deliberately try to memorize. My reasoning is, if I use some fact often enough, eventually I’ll memorize it by sheer use. If I don’t use it often enough, then there’s no point in memorizing it.
I confess this gets me into trouble in certain social situations. Names of new acquaintances are a problem.