Today's BBC headline: Who, what, why: Why does the sum 7x8 catch people out?

[ephpa95]

My kids will tell you at once, because my genius godmother who was a teacher taught the following rhyme which I have taught them: 7 x 8 is 56. 5,6,7,8. Say it loud, over and over again. Easy!!!

7 x table was always my favourite.

My kids would tell you that it's not a sum.

I found learning the 1-6 times tables fairly easy (eventually). I think by 7 I'd kind of run out of steam re: rote learning so....

1x7 - 6x7 are fine because they're in tables I know.
7x7 is a square so that's fine.
9x7 is fine - 9x table's a cinch.
Ditto 10x7

Same goes with the 8x table. 1-6 fine, 8x8 a square, 9 & 10 fine.

Which leaves evil 7x8 (or 8x7)

And I know it's 56 but it's taken more than 30 years to fix it in my brain.

I always thought 7 x 6 = 42 more difficult to be honest. I forced my kids to say that one out loud! For 7 x 8 I subtract 8 from 64 (8 x 8) if I am unsure.

Handy memory rhymes.

8 x 8 = 64 (I ate and I ate till I was sick on the floor).
Then -8 = 56.

My mum told me the 5,6,7,8 56=7x8 trick too.
So, I've never forgotten it.

The only reason I'm OK with tables at the moment is that I've been practising with my son. He tests me as often as I test him.

I thought this one was best managed by thinking of seven eights as ten eights (80) minus three eights (24), though I quite like the sick on the floor memory aid.

I walked, I walked, I picked up sticks. Seven times Eight is Fifty-Six.
Rhyme to go with 8 x 8 being sick on the floor :-)

Sorry to be pedantic but it's a product not a sum. A sum has to contain a + sign.