Times Tables

Times-tables are an essential tool for any child to be successful in maths.

So many aspects of maths can be hampered without sufficient times-tables but how can we encourage our children to learn them?

Whole class times-tables ‘teaching’ in school has a very limited effect.

Children need to ‘rote learn’ their tables, individually - this means committing them to memory as a known fact - something they can recall instantly.

Deriving tables by finger counting, using patterns, counting up in multiples are all excellent methods for learning their tables BUT cannot replace long-term the need for tables to be committed to memory.

We would always recommend a range of learning strategies:

• Verbally chanting,
• Mixed questioning,
• Computer timed games and activities such as RockStars,
• Poems,
• Songs.

No one technique will work for all children. However, what we do know from research is that regular and often is the best approach.  In reality, we have found over the years that 3 minutes daily practise (and it really does mean every day!) is the best way of learning our times-tables.

If you need further advice on which tables your child should be practising, please contact your child’s teacher.  Also, if your child’s RockStars login isn’t working, please contact your child’s teacher.

Finally, children in Year 4 sit the national Multiplication Tables Check in June each year. This is a computer based test of 25 random questions from any of the tables up to 12x12 with each individual answer having a time limit of just 6 seconds.