In my day, you learnt your times tables by rote, and you knew them forever afterwards.

[ScareyCaligulaCorday]

[Old fart emoticon]

But now, my DS's teacher tells me that as she asks random tables, there's no point learning by rote.

But I thought that was the point of learning by rote - so that if somone asks you what seven times six is, you can instantly remember that it's 42 because of chanting it like a song - you don't have to work it out.

DS has been trying to learn his 2 times tables for 4 weeks and still doesn't know them. How can I teach him?

Thanks Kitty I have downloaded that for my DSs.

MrsApron (answering this because I think it is past the fish's bedtime) IIRC Cod's Codfather was in the RAF at Leuchars, not sure what School she would have gone to, presumably the primary in Leuchars, think she was quite young when returning back down south.

Whereabouts in Fife were you MrsApron, are you still in Fife?

I was in the dreaded cowdenbeath, and no I am no longer in Fife am just outside Edinburgh now after a good few years there.

LOL, I'm just down the road from Cowdenbeath, I'm in Dunfermline.

in my day - now that's my line

I think Scarey(Fluffy) horse lover is older than she's letting on!

Yes by rote and why not, why mend summat that ain't broken.

Hey gobble! 50 questions in 10 minutes you had to do, AND you know me and numbers well my learning by rote made those tables stick even in my numb nut!

Waves at the Fifer!

Your name always makes me smile as it is reminiscent of my maiden name. Are you a born and bred fifer or an interloper?

I didn't learn them by rote ('70s primary education) and so by the time I went to University I still didn't know them off by heart ...
I taught myself to learn them by rote when I was in my first year of my teaching degree as I felt it was ridiculous that I was going to be a teacher and didn't know my tables ... I could work them out but didn't know them IYSWIM?

I am teaching DS his tables by rote ...

Nooooo!!! Not a Fifer born and bred, I'm an interloper and proud!

LOL at MrsApron and MrsSpoon
Cod my dad worked at RAF Leuchars too in teh 70s
And I live quite near Dunfermline now

Hate times tables.

Love Fife!

Pruhoohooohoooooni are you usually Pruni? If so I thought you were one of these South East of England people! Wonder if I know you?

ahh, i'm a weird mixture, Dad was a fifer, mum hated it. We moved there when I was 4 and I was considered an interloper till I left.

Lol at proud interloper! And lol at this thread turning into fifezone!

Was in S but now here. Am originally from Morayshire. I barely know anyone so it's unlikely we know each other!

but how near Pruni? I mean to do pop into D/line for a coffee? To buy pants in M&S? Get a prescription filled at Lloyds? Or are we talking further away than that?

MrsApron, I am always quick to tell people that I am not a Fifer but then realise that as most people I meet here are Fifers I have probably just mortally offended them.

About 8 or 10 miles. Going west.
Do you happen to know a good dentist in Dunfermline? Broke filling today and no NHS dentists available.....

LOL, will I start a new thread in chat?

No Ihave to go to bed!!
Will have my Spoon-dar switched on though from now on

I am not a Fifer either. Edinburgh born dontcha know! Probably why I didn't fit in!

Chat tomorrow, have to go to bed!

It is here , I'm off to bed too but wanted to stop hijacking the times table thread with all this Fife stuff!

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Can't believe you are still up Cod!

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Agree

I don't know but if you find the answer could you let me know as my dd struggles with hers all the time.

When I was at school we would chant them and I'll admit I would get confused with bits of them and for years there were times when if I was asked what 7x9 was I'd have no idea off the top of my head.
But now dd is at school first they learn the 2x, 5x and 10x, fair enough they're quite easy. Then they learn 3 and 4 then 6,7,8 and 9. But dd really does struggle with them. The teacher has made up some little songs where they sing the answers to the tune of happy birthday I think that one was for the 4 times table, but I can't understand how knowing just the anwers will help her. If I say what's 4x8 she has to count through all the answers to get to it,where as I'm sure if they had it drummed into them as such she could just automatically say 32.

Dd and I now chant them on the way to school in the mornings and she is getting better at them, finally, but it's taken a while.