I created these multiplication flashcards as part of my master's project when I was a grad student at the Vermont Mathematics Initiative.  I wanted a way to provide my students with strategies as they practiced their multiplication facts; I wanted something that matched what research recommended and that did not rely on rote memorization.  These cards were the result.

They are heavily based on the work of the late John A. Van de Walle, particularly his Elementary and Middle School Mathematics.  They also ended up becoming the precursor of what is now MathFactLab.  

While you are welcome to download these cards, print them and use them with your students, I think you will probably find that they will have much greater success using MathFactLab instead.  Ultimately, I left these flashcards behind because they didn't provide the whole package that I was looking for, leading me to begin building MathFactLab.  The strategies and models on MathFactLab are much more robust and clear than on these multiplication flashcards, and the site, of course, keeps track of student progress and moves them through a curriculum.  Division facts are learned alongside multiplication facts.  I could go on and on.  

If you want the cards as a way to teach strategies, I would recommend the 'Teaching Tools' feature on our teacher/parent dashboard.  On this, users can pull up any of our strategies at an any level and practice them with the whole class, a small group or an individual.

Download Strategy-Based Multiplication Flashcards

Printing Directions

1. Make sure you have a 2-sided printer.
2. A color printer will produce much nicer cards than a black and white one.  
3. You will need card stock, as printer paper is too flimsy.
4. Select, 'Print on long edge'.
5. Do a test run.  Print the first two pages.  Cut these out and make sure they work. 
6. If they were printed correctly, you should be able to flip them vertically to get the correct product.
7. If they were not printed correctly, you might get the wrong answer or an upside-down number.  In this case, select, 'Print on short edge.'
8. If the test run goes well, you're ready to print a whole set.
9. After the set is printed, using a paper cutter, trim away all four edges to remove the white margin.  
10. Cut the cards horizontally.
11. Cut the cards vertically.

These are now ready to use.  Good luck.  

This blog was written by Mike Kenny, 5th grade math teacher and creator of MathFactLab.