Have you come across people who are clearly geniuses in maths? Sometimes we see them in the newspapers or on the TV. One such genius is Shakuntala Devi, know as the human calculator.
Shakuntra visited many countries showing her abilities to thousands of admirers.
Her positive attitude to learning maths and to numbers can be a role model and inspiration to you as a teacher or parent and to your children.
An example of her skills can be found in the record books.
For example she was tasked with multiplying together two 13 digit numbers and giving the answer. In itself the answer was a 26 digit number.
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 is the view of a maths genius and perhaps the reason she is so good at maths.
Just imagine how easy it would be for your children to learn the times tables if they felt like Shakuntala. Your children can learn to love numbers through learning the times tables.
The thing about times tables is that there is a simple method of learning them so that they know the answers immediately without thinking. By using the method and getting the answers right your children can be like Shakuntra and motivated to learn more.
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 often have a view of what a genius is like. A few years after her world record I was lucky enough to meet an Shakuntra and I found her to be very pleasant down to earth lady.
A maths prodigy yes, and also a person you would want to know and spend time with.One of the aspects of being a maths genius is that she sees the patterns behind numbers.
Here is a pattern taken from her book – ‘Figuring’. The pattern is linked to the 11 times tables.
What is the answer to the sum 11 x 33? To do this very fast all you have to do is add 3 and 3 together which of course makes 6. Next place the 6 between the 3 and 3 of the number 33 and you have what? Yes, the number 363.
Patterns help children make what are apparently difficult sums much easier.
Your children can be motivated to love maths and numbers when they are encouraged to use fun maths methods where they can see the patterns of number and they too can feel like a genius.
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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