do they learn times tables by chanting still?

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Cod · 04/03/2005 08:29

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soapbox · 04/03/2005 08:32

Cod - DD's been doing them this year and seems to have learned them by 'counting in' different numbers. So started in Y1 counting 2,4,6,8... then 5,10,15... Now this year 3,6,9... 4,8,12...

Once they are reasonably proficient at the counting in different bases they then add on the 2*3 = 6 etc etc.

I don't think they have ever chanted in the way we would have done as children. Not least because the whole class is at completely different levels in maths and don't seem to do much whole class work in this subject!

Miaou · 04/03/2005 08:33

My kids do chanting, clapping their hands at the same time to create a rhythm. works really well if you ask me.

soapbox · 04/03/2005 08:33

We also only used to go up to x 12, they go up to x15 - which taxes my brain sometimes

roisin · 04/03/2005 08:38

Cod at our school they do lots of counting in 2s, counting in 3s etc. in yr1. But then in yr2 they do start chanting tables x2, x5 and x10. (I only know this because ds1's yr2 report said he often declined to join in!) And progressing in yr3. They are expected to learn them by rote.

Tbh ds1 hasn't really got this yet. He can 'work them out' so quickly he doesn't see the point of learning them by rote.

I hope he picks them up at school soon, otherwise we are going to have to start working on them at home, which doesn't really appeal

Miaou · 04/03/2005 08:54

At dd1's old school, they used to recite the tables (2 nothings are nothing, 2 ones are two etc), and be timed doing them. They had a chart called "beat the teacher" to see if they could do it faster than the teacher. However, this soon got changed to "Beat dd1"! She thrives on this style of learning, obviously!

lunavix · 04/03/2005 08:56

They go up to *15????

Dear god

I only just managed up to 12! What are they going to be doing by the time ds goes to school, 18??

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Cod · 04/03/2005 09:13

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Cod · 04/03/2005 09:14

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Cam · 04/03/2005 11:06

At dd's school they go up to x10, this makes sense to me now that we have decimilisation. Surely up to x12 was because of old money?
Anyway, dd's class don't seem to chant in the way we did (and boy did we - I have all the times tables fixed in my head forever) but IMO it is the only way to learn them. We have a tape in the car and I randomly ask her what's x times x? She is confident in 2,3,4,5,6,7 and 10 but is still learning 8 and 9 (year 3).

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