I have been noticing more and more that students who don't know the multiplication tables from memory have a great deal more difficulty with algebra than those who do.  In addition, most of the students who are failing quizzes also cannot multiply in their heads.

  Therefore, I would strongly suggest that all students who have difficulty multiplying or dividing spend at least 15 minutes a night working on memorizing their multiplication facts.  I even suggested to students that they work with flash cards during commercials while watching t.v.