Is this the correct way the 2 times table should be taught?

[SinceWhenDid]

Dc is being told to the 2 times table is about doubling. For example 9x2 is double 9. Now of course the answer is correct and it is an easy way to get the answer.

However they had no idea of the concept that 9x2 is 9 sets of 2 objects.

They are starting by adding for example a set of 4 and a set of 4 so 4+4 is 2x4 so two fours are 8.

I'm interested to see the replies on this but it seems like a common sense way to teach it to me! 2 times tables is about 2 lots of x amount. 9 times table would be about 9 lots of x amount. I'm guessing your child is right at the start of learning times tables hence them not knowing them back to front and inside out? They will no doubt spot that stuff or learn it as they get more adept at their tables.

I always said times meant "piles of", so 2 piles of 9, or 9 piles of 2, and we did a lot of playing around with actual piles of actual small objects. My kids actually grasped this quite well, quite early on.

I think it is good not to be too abstract too soon, though my 3 kids understood the abstraction of 9x2 and 2x9 at very different ages.

I think you will find that this is just the first way of approaching it. Over time they will learn that
2x9 is double 9
9x2 is 9 lots of 2
2x9 is same as 9x2
2x9 is same as 3x6
18 divided by 2 is 9 and
18 divided by 9 is 2

and so on.
They start with one thing and expand out from there. So they are starting with the 'two-ness' of the 2 times table, that two times anything is double.

technically 9x2 , where it is 9 lots of 2, is part of the 9 times table, not the 2 times!

How old?
Mine started with "grasshopper counting" in reception - skipping numbers, moved onto doubling, and then on to a more traditional 2 times table.
My Y2 gets it as repeated addition for some (and told me -very slowly!- the 13 times table by just adding on), but also knows some of the simpler tables (2,3,4,5,10,11).
So, reception, normal. Y3 or 4, I'd be worried!

Thanks you that makes sense!

6 year olds 😊