Tmrw tables homework=years and tantrums!

[clarabella18]

My 8 year old ds is currently learning his timetables at school. He tends to be ok with homework and school work generally, Is a good reader and get through other maths homework with minimum fuss.

However, he started bringing home worksheets about a week nd half ago with his times tables on. He has to write them out an practice them. He gets tested in class seemingly quite regulary.

Everytime we sit down to do them at home he goes into a serious strop, tells me he's rubbish and thick, he can't do them. He usually ends up in tears and refuses to listen to any help or advice.

I've tried making them fun( as fun as maths can be) I've tried bribes (I know shame on me!) I've tried pinishment ( no x box unless you try) I've tried doing them at differen times ofthe day kn case it was due to tiredness in am evening. But nothing seems to work!

I really am stumped now. I know he's goingto have to keep practicing but the whole thing is so draining and stressful ( doesn't help that I'm 28 weeks pg with no2)

Please help!

Aww heck I thinking news some spelling help!

Times tables homework = tears and tantrums.

Some other things that can help:

Times tables to songs/raps etc - play in car
( Google Percy Parker for an example)

Saying times tables while doing something rhythmic - I use a juggling ball and get student to throw and catch whilst saying the table - or throw and catch between us. Small teddies can also quite enjoy "flying lessons" to times tables!

Maria Miller gives a useful video of how to teach times tables on her math mammoth website- I think this method works quite well at getting it into short-term memory - then the rhythmic stuff can help get it into long-term memory

Have you tried this? See www.bigbrainz.com/Download.html? My son loves it. The basic version is free. My daughter is less into computers so with her I let use her pogo stick as she recites the tables.

My Y2 class love Percy Parker and it certainly seems to be working (7 children know ALL their tables plus the related division facts when given random mental calculations) daily 5 minute song and dance

The drawback is I've begun to sing them in my sleep

Get a cd to play in the car. Lots of games on the Internet. If you have an iPhone there is a good App called times table clock. Think
there might be a related website if you don't. All the kids I do maths with love playing the game.

Thank you all so much. Will defiantly look some of them up!

Definitely even. Think I need to go back to school!

www.percyparker.com/singyourtimestables/index.html

Just going to download the iphone app once my phone finishes backing up. CD available on itunes to :)

app brilliant. DD picking up loads already and it's fun

only £0.59 compared to CD of about £7

Quick game to improve recall:

Cut up 48 little cards with numbers on: 4 each of 2-12, and two 1s and two 0s.

Lay them all out face down and your DS has to pick up any 2 cards, and tell you the product. He gets one attempt only (to discourage random guessing!). If he's right, he takes the cards and picks another pair. If he's wrong, he puts those two back and picks any other two cards.

Continue until he's collected all the cards. Time him - if he does it every day he should get quicker.

Simple, but it made a massive difference to my DSDs :)

You could also use the cards for other games, you could lay a few out and say, e.g. "find me two numbers which multiply together to make 35" etc.

HTH :)