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Original poster

An app that will help my maths hating DS9 (with dyscalculia) learn his tables?

26 replies

HysteryMystery · 06/09/2019 10:45

As in the title. DS hates maths. Is working at 2-3 years below target, can reliably do sums 1-10 not so reliably 10-20. Kind of likes the tables, as in he knows some of them (2, 10x and some of the 5x).

Something that will help him understand 3x6 is the same as 6+6+6

He refuses to engage with teachers/us/objects if there's a hint of maths involved.

What can I try.

OP posts:
InglouriousBasterd · 06/09/2019 10:47

Following as in same situation. I was recommended the Times Fables book but it didn’t help DD.

Original poster
HysteryMystery · 06/09/2019 14:01

I had a quick look and I do t think it would be anything for DS. He is so resistant right now I think my only chance is letting him explore it alone on the iPad so he doesn't feel pressured.

OP posts:
Saucery · 06/09/2019 14:04

ttrockstars.com/login

This one? Not free but can work through levels at own pace.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

9 year olds General education
Orangesarenottheonlyfruit · 06/09/2019 14:05

I'm in a very similar situation, watching with interest!

IncyWincyGrownUp · 06/09/2019 14:36

They use TT Rockstar at my son’s school, and it has really made a difference. They’re quite competitive too, pitting classes against each other on weekly challenges etc.

Kokeshi123 · 06/09/2019 15:13

Can you get a song of times tables and play it in the background at a set time each day?

M3lon · 06/09/2019 15:18

following for suggestions too....

DD loves maths, is currently into solving equations and learning about brackets, but absolutely refuses to learn sums or xtables.

Its bloody excruciating watching her do all the algebra then spend 10 minutes working out what (5+10 )/ 3 is at the end.

grrrrrrrrrrrrrr

Barbarara · 06/09/2019 15:41

Watching with interest. Similar issues, and now his class have moved on and stopped doing tables I don’t even have the authority of “it’s your homework so we have to practice” to fall back on.

We have started doing a “game” where he counts on his fingers (e.g. 2-4-6) and I shout stop suddenly and then he has to look at his fingers and tell me what the sum is (so he’s got 3 fingers up and has just said 6, so he has to work out that 3x2=6. He enjoys the anticipation and the startle effect of me yelling stop. but I can see him thinking really hard to work out the sum.

Sorry op, I know you’re not looking for games but might be useful to someone else.

We haven’t had much success on iPad as he’d rather be playing Minecraft Hmm but also most games we’ve tried don’t correct the wrong answer straight away so he’s not really learning from the error. A soft beep or a “try again” isn’t helpful. So basically the game is only reinforcing what is already known, but not actively teaching.

Would love to hear about successful games.

WinkyisbackontheButterBeer · 06/09/2019 15:56

Tt rockstars is great for practicing and becoming faster at recall of ttables but I don’t think that it actually teaches them.

It sounds like your little boy is lacking and internal working picture of number and that’s why he is struggling.
I know that you asked about apps but resources like numicon are good for this as they’ve help to give a visual and can be layered over each other to show equivalents.
Interlocking cubes in different colours are also good.

WinkyisbackontheButterBeer · 06/09/2019 15:57

*an

WinkyisbackontheButterBeer · 06/09/2019 16:02

www.ictgames.com/mobilePage/arrayDisplay/index.html

This is nice for visuals.

AGnu · 06/09/2019 16:08

I don't know much about dyscalculia but we home educate & use the DoodleMaths/DoodleTables apps. I like them because they tailor to the child's stage & they can work through it at their own speed.

SudowoodoVoodoo · 06/09/2019 16:09

I'm not a fan of times table rock stars for my DS. He's great at understanding the processes of maths but his dyslexia and dyspraxia affect his ability to learn to recite the patterns, and his manual processes are too slow to get much satisfaction from it. We've had a little success with me doing a table square to do a quick look up with it.

Ask the class what 4x5 is, and his hand will be slow to go up. Ask them what 40x 5 is and he'll be one of the quickest because he understands the process and is used to manually working it out.

Maybe sharing sweets out into piles as practice and the reward is to eat them?

Original poster
HysteryMystery · 06/09/2019 16:11

We haven’t had much success on iPad as he’d rather be playing Minecraft
I'm planning to lock it into guided access for 10 minutes so he can only play what I decide before he gets Minecraft.

Either we have all the blocks, tables, cubes etc or they've been tried at school. I really think this is the only way to get through to him.

He isn't allowed an internet connection yet, so ideally we need a stand alone app rather than a subscription based app. It really has to be something that he can hide in his room with. He will not even engage on the iPad if I am sat next to him.

OP posts:
Allington · 06/09/2019 16:12

Maths Rockx is working well for DD, as she loves singing along. I think for her half the battle is that she doesn't immediately shut down because she gets anxious about it, she sings along quite happily and it feels like fun.

Allington · 06/09/2019 16:14

It also has a quiz so she can test herself

KOKOagainandagain · 06/09/2019 16:57

DS1 has dyslexia and dyscalculia as well as an auditory processing disorder. Despite trying everything available for many years he never could learn his tables (as predicted by profs). He even has certificates from his primary for 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 10. He can only do 2, 5 and 10 and even then he has to work it out. There is a limit to how much information he can store - one in, one out - and his recall is time limited.

He was able to use a calculator or number square in assessments. He missed all but 5 terms of secondary but he has just sat GCSE maths. He missed C/level 4 (he got a D) but this was fantastic progress as he began the GCSE with key stage 2 level 3 skills. When he was at school, he wasn't allowed to move forward until he had mastered his tables but he just couldn't. Contributed significantly to school phobia and extremely negative view of himself as a learner.

I heard a maths professor on radio 4 who said she didn't know her tables by heart and that it was no big deal.

He didn't make progress in maths until mental arithmetic and multiplication or division with no aids was bracketed.

Deadringer · 06/09/2019 17:05

We use 'Hit the button' and Topmarks websites.

deste · 06/09/2019 17:23

As someone suggested above you can get cd’s of the times tables. Just put it on in the car when he is in it and it’s like learning the words to a song.

Tensixtysix · 06/09/2019 17:24

I'm in my 50s and I still don't know all my times tables.

Original poster
HysteryMystery · 06/09/2019 17:34

I'm in my 50s and I still don't know all my times tables.

Maybe. But I'm guessing that you are able to do 8+7 in your head.

He won't listen to music so cd's etc are not an option.

I actually think he will be quite good at maths once they're allowed to use a calculator. Which unfortunately won't be for another 4 years...

OP posts:
MrsJoshNavidi · 06/09/2019 17:37

I helped my DD understand by using chocolate buttons. And pizza worked well with helping her understanding fractions.

I think it's because these are tangible things. She kept asking "3 what?" when asked what 3 + 3 is but counting physical things helped a lot.

KOKOagainandagain · 06/09/2019 17:39

There is a flaw with times tables songs - DS1 would remember the tune perfectly but would sing the wrong numbers eg three times four is ten, four times four is thirteen etc. Apparently, any number 'fits' if it has the right number of syllables. Plus, even when he used the correct numbers, he could only remember the whole song so had to start at the beginning to recall, say, 9 x 4.

Bipbopbee · 06/09/2019 17:42

I came on here to suggest Maths Rockx as well. It teaches the tables using pop songs to sing along to, so you associate the answers automatically

Barbarara · 06/09/2019 18:38

@KeepOnKeepingOnAgainandAgain that’s very interesting. Ds struggles with the basic arithmetic but can grasp the tricky concepts easily.

One in one out is very similar to how ds describes his brain processes. He struggles with language too.