MY CHILD DOESN’T KNOW THEIR TIMES TABLE!
Who is Responsible? – Teacher? Parent? Child?
Well actually, these days, I believe it is all three…
Forty years ago, when I was at school, we started each day chanting our times tables and then did exercises that challenged us to answer correctly as many questions as possible in a set time. It was how it was done. We had no choice. The consequences for not learning them were quite severe in some cases.
But, things have changed…
Christine Hawkins
Owner KMEC Hunter
Today these methods are frowned upon and called ‘old fashioned’. Also, what is accepted now will be different tomorrow. Teaching strategies will always change with the times as we search for better ways to create real learning.
However, I am seeing more and more children each day unable to automatically recall their tables. Sadly, all too often I hear “My child doesn’t know their times tables and they’re off to high school next year.”
The only way I can see it working in today’s environment is to have teachers responsible for teaching children how multiplication tables work and why they are REEEALLY important. With this understanding the children can then be responsible for learning them with the help of their parents. Together with this teaching and learning your child will truly know their Times Tables.
I can hear you groaning now, “I just don’t have the time or patience to do that!”
Well, from seeing over 1000 children come through our centres over the years, I have found the best way to learn the Times Tables is constant repetition until it embeds into their long term memory; this means at school and at home until it sinks in.
Ideally two, five-minute sessions a day for 21 days will commit each of the times tables to memory. Once done your child’s life will be so much easier with other parts of Maths like division, fractions and decimals. If we could convince them to do this, the memory would be there FOREVER!
So, truly KNOWING times tables will come as a result of the effort put in by all involved, where teachers TEACH them and children LEARN them.
Put simply: TEACH + LEARN = KNOW
We have a plan at Kip McGrath to help children learn their times tables – and below I have some suggestions for things you can do at home to speed up the process. With focused effort we can make this happen. The key is finding the method and motivation which will work best for your child.
Strategies for Memorising Times Tables
FLASH THOSE CARDS
Create a set of flash cards of difficult times tables questions. Children may enjoy making these themselves. As your child memorises each question, remove it from the pile, giving a visual reminder of the progress they’ve made.
PLAY BALL
This game will test your child’s reflexes as well as their times tables. Two players stand a distance apart and throw a ball between each other. The thrower asks a question and the catcher has to answer before catching the ball.
TIMES TABLE MOUNTAIN APP
Download a few times tables apps. Here are a couple that rank highly:
- For iPhone, iPad, and Android
- Costs a few dollars
- Suitable for all ages
- Fun and engaging
EGGY TIMES TABLE APP by Reading Eggs
- For iPad, iPhone and Android
Suitable for ages 5-10
5 highly interactive games
2 or 3 difficulty levels for each activity
15 exciting Mashies rewards to collect
“I knew that Alora struggled a bit with Maths but after Covid and the interruption to learning, her confidence plummeted. After speaking with her teachers, we enrolled her in Kip McGrath. We have not looked back. She has regained her confidence and has shown great improvements. She has come such a long way and no longer struggles as much as she used to. Her teachers and I are very proud of her improvement and thankful for her tutors at Kip McGrath.”
1. Cheese with Lettuce and Mayonaise on Whole-Wheat Bread.
2. Grapes or other small fruit.
3. Veggies like cucumbers and carrots.
4. Savoury snack or leftover goodies.
