Resources for improving mental maths - recall of number bonds and times tables

[MeanwhileTime]

My 9 year old really needs to improve/ speed up her recall of times tables and basic number bonds. She is meeting age related expectations in maths and by and large can do the work set (when she concentrates), but while homeschooling I’ve noticed that her recall of times tables and number bonds isn’t always consistent or is often quite slow.

I’d like to help her improve on these as I think if she could strengthen these foundations and speed up her recall it would really help her confidence with all the other maths work she gets set. Can anyone recommend any good resources for practising these? Like online websites with timed games etc. I’ve bought some kumon workbooks but I think she will find these deathly boring. If there were online games she could play where she could see her progress improving/meet targets I think she’d enjoy that. I’m happy to pay for a subscription if necessary.

I’m open to any other suggestions as well if anyone can recommend any other (interesting/engaging) ways of improving these skills. Thank you.

We used to do mental maths on walks outdoors. I realise this is probably everyone's idea of hell in 2021!

I should say it wasn't adult asks child answers. We passed it around. I found out where my weaknesses were too!

We just do them every day on our walk, or in the car.

Hit the Button is good for number bonds and times tables

Thank you for the Hit the Button recommendation, I will check that out.

I’ve tired doing it with her in the car, on walks and at other times but she just gets frustrated with me and really really doesn’t want to do it. I think she’s had enough of me homeschooling her! I was hoping to find something she could do that would incentivise her to work at them, even if it’s just for 5-10 minutes a day. I’m happy to play board games with her if there are any that are particularly good at improving these skills but she does like doing online games which is why I thought that might be the way to go.

Does your primary school subscribe to TimesTable Rockstars? That's really the only one that's grabbed either of my DC. However, I would say it's no substitute for learning them out loud the old-fashioned way, unfortunately - and my DC have always refused loudly and long about this. I don't think I realised I had an option to refuse when I was a kid.

I bought times tables rock stars. Think it's £7 a year. Also doodle maths lets you do a limited number of questions each day

My dd is the same age and I could have written your post. I bought her a squared exercise book and get her to write them all out each day in a grid. She doesn't mind this. We also practice with a ball, saying the next number as we throw it to each other. On the trampoline we have a game where each time she jumps she has to say the next number in the table and if she forgets she goes back to the beginning... I've got to say though that she is verrrrry slow to improve, and I do wonder if I'm flogging a dead horse sometimes. She's really bright too, and understands maths concepts really easily. But those tables; jeez!

I have considered buying times tables rock stars. I might look into it some more.

I have the same problem with point blank refusal to do it with me verbally. I even had a times tables CD I bought to listen to in the car but she has a meltdown every time I put that on now.

The ball/trampoline games sound good and I can see the appeal but I know she’d get upset the minute I tried to introduce any maths practice.

I really think online is the way to go as we could set a timer and she could have a dedicated set amount of time each day to do it, hopefully with some sort of challenge or goal involved to make it more enjoyable for her.

Thank you for all your suggestions by the way. I can see the benefit of so many of them but just know with my DD that there are only certain ways of doing it that might work (without it becoming a massively upsetting battle!)

I was going to suggest time table rock stars as my two DCs love that

Also there is a DK app called 10 minute times tables which is fun (but from memory think only goes up to 10 times table)

I get that op, you have to meet them where they are willing and able.

Def get times tables Rockstar then. It's good fun as these things go. Good luck.

Mine have eggs x tables on the iPad. DS won’t do anything mathematical if I’m present but he will do this app if I leave him to it.

@OldRailer

I get that op, you have to meet them where they are willing and able.

That’s exactly it. I have a younger DS who any of those methods would probably work with but with DD I really have to tailor it to her needs. Who knows, maybe if she improves her skills online she might actually then enjoy doing it with me a bit when she feels more confident.

I think I will go for times tables rock stars and might use hit the button for number bonds.

Thank you for all the suggestions.

Ive just checked rock for myself and its seems reasonable? £7.20 for the year....