Times Tables CDs - I know it's been done to death but...

[VonHerrBurton]

...did it work for you? Please reassure me that listening over and over again and chanting them will work?! The CD I bought repeats them to a rap/pop type tune and although a bit 'babyish' sounding, he has to learn them so I'm really going to try to stick with it.

Y5 and still doesn't know a few of the 'harder' ones, I want this sorted asap. He really isn't one for sitting at home and learning them, they get a lot of homework and I just wanted to make this a bit more lighthearted and play it time and time again in the car.

I don't think that you want to hear this but I believe the only way to learn them is to practice them and to do sums involving multiples of the types he can't remember. If you can help to devise sums involving problems that he enjoys, involving cars, money, computers or whatever he likes, then perhaps that'll motivate him. But, above all, I think it's practice.

No, I do want to hear it! We had a homework a couple of weeks ago involving lots of long multiplication, they haven't taught him the same way we learned and it was a real struggle for him - but only because he didn't know his 7,8 and 9 xtables!

It really is a skill you will use for life, poor DH was trying to make it easier by saying 'if you don't know what 9 x 9 is, do 10 x 9, and take off 9....' Just seems such a long way around doing something he just needs to learn. I don't want him to cringe every time xtables are involved.

I think it depends on your child. DS recently did a "test" at school which found he was an auditory learner - which I totally agree with. He found learning the tables to music really helped.

DD learns in an entirely different way and just finds the tables on DVD confusing!

So it might be worth thinking about how your child learns other things and adopting an appropriate method.

Dd (y4) learned hers after much angst in a far happier way: iPhone or iPad app called Squeebles. Amazing, couldn't stop her on holiday!

That said, her little sister loves Percy Parker (cd or iPad app) and he did help dd1 too - till she rebelled. The other thing we did was use action whilst chanting them out loud: bouncing on trampoline worked well. Dd found she could release the frustration associated with 'boring boring horrible tables' whilst learning

Then we discovered Squeebles....who now have a dividing version as well....

My dd has learnt them both ways (Yr3), CD and literally learning them by rote. However, the CD ones are definately more secure, although she tends to have to sing the tune as she does them!

The CD I have is www.amazon.co.uk/Times-Tables-Learn-Songs-Games/dp/1904903967/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1348757968&sr=8-1

Each table has a different tune and the tables are repeated with a gap for the child to say the number and one without the tune where a man just does the tables and leaves a gap for the child to answer and then gives the answer. In another section they are mixed up. She actually gets quite cross with herself if she doesn't get them right and has to start the song again, but thankfully, the tunes are not that bad!

DD isn't the best at maths, but yesterday got 30/30 on her 3's and 4's.

We use Percy Parker in school.
The kids seem to like it...and it does get into your head...I often find myself singing it to myself!

We have the same one KT linked to. Bloody annoying, but was very effective for DS. In fact, I need to find it as DD is about to start on that particular phase in life. I will check out the apps too, though, I think.

Well, for £2 odd, I will get that one too KT and Stealth, thanks.

Thanks for everyone's advice, I appreciate it. I remind myself of my own Dad when I say to ds 'if you can learn all those words to all those awful songs you like, you can learn your times tables

It does, of course, depend on the child which way works best. The challenge with DS was that he could work them out really quite quickly, so never saw the point of just knowing (there is, in fact, a lot of point, but not that you can see when you are 6/7/8). The songs were the only thing which demanded responses faster than he could work them out, IYSWIM. I would imagine some of the apps work in a similar way, but DS's table-learning was in a pre-ipad world.

Still, for that price it's worth a try...

i think the songs work but it's only step 1 to be able to recite them
you then need to practice practice practice sums to get fast
if you have to go through the song in your head to get to the right answer you don't know them well enough
make lots of worksheets and time them
first do the table you're doing
then mix up with other ones you've done
maybe the teacher has these, but easy enough to make yourself.

I learned my tables this way - and still remember the songs even now I am 34!
I am definitely getting one for DS (he's only 5.5 at the moment).