Dr. Toy's Best Children's Products Awards
Best Products for 2009



Multiplication Mountain
Words and Music by Hap Palmer HP116

Excellent approach for summertime and anytime learning. Multiplication facts are easy to learn when your child has the chance to climb Multiplication Mountain. There's no getting around it, learning the multiplication tables requires repetition. But this approach of putting the facts in a musical format of well crafted songs makes the repetition fun. When Hap Palmer's daughter was in third grade, her teacher taught the multiplication tables in the order most children find easiest to learn starting with the 2s, 5s, 10s, and 11s tables first. This approach intrigued the award winning songwriter and educator as he presents the multiplication facts in songs starting with the easiest tables on the first level. The child learns a fact found further up the mountain. For example, because 2 x 9 equals 18, 9 x 2 also equals 18. Child quickly understands that multiplication facts are easy to learn if you slowly, but steadily, climb the Multiplication Mountain. Each table has its own catchy song to help memorize the facts. The tables are interspersed with fun word play and rhymes. For example, in "The Twos Give You Twice," children learn: all you have to do is double every number. A five foot board becomes ten feet of lumber. A six bar tune becomes a twelve bar blues. You can double any number you choose. Lots of musical styles are offered from country, classical, jazz, to rock and make the climb engaging and fun. Each song is played with answers and without answers.

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