Time tables - weekly tests by stop watch!

[mummatotwo]

DD has weekly tests by filling in a grid and x'ing the numbers by the timetable she is on. If its completed within 2 mins she can next week move onto the next timestable.

For the last 2 weeks and 2 weeks prior to christmas she was getting 30 out of 30 but not completing them within 2 mins...today she was 2 mins 7 seconds but still not allowed to move on. She's in tears, frustrated and getting taunted by some of the ones that are doing it within 2 mins.

How on earth is this helping?!

It's not helping at all and you need to work around it. Go to the timestables4u website and download the parent handbook and student workbook. Follow the instructions carefully and in no time at all she will know all her tables. No chanting etc needed.

Speak to the teacher about the teasing, but she will get under 2min if she keeps at it. It is essential that children know their tables facts fluently to be able to access other parts of the maths curriculum.

We have a similar process - 3 minutes to do 50 times tables. They get stickers if they do in under 3 minutes but they move on to the next table if they get them all right in over 3 minutes (I think 4 minutes is the max).
Sometimes the stress takes it's toll. Best to reassure DD that its all going to be okay. She'll get it, and that a large whole will not open up in the earth and swallow her if it takes a couple of weeks.

Do talk to the teacher about the taunting though...that's not helping (happens at our school too).

My daughter did this in yr 5 shes now year 6 and she was like this for a while but eventually she got it, just tell your little one to keep trying, she will get it in the end, its obviously improving each week, I know its frustrating for her but she will get there.

My kids also had weekly timed tests (two different schools) so I think this is common. For my DD, cracking her times tables seemed to accelerate her progress in maths generally (not her favourite subject).

For my DS, although he knew his tables quite early he found it difficult to write quickly enough which frustrated him.

I wrote an online app to help them. Test Your Tables. It can be used online for practice or timed tests but you can also print off tests to complete on paper. For the paper tests, I gave them a bronze award for under 3 minutes, silver for under 2 and gold for under 1. Gold resulted in a treat but was quite difficult to achieve.

I only gave my Y2 class 1 minute to complete 50 questions (not on a grid)

good for you mrz

We have daily times tables tests, all right 4 times and you can move on. The only way to improve times tables is to practice, they really are essential by the time you get to KS2.

and most knew all their tables to 12 by the end of the year and could instantly recall the related division facts and oddly enough none cried when the time was up and they had only completed 49 questions ...they just worked faster the next day. (they had to get 50/50 3 times in a row before they moved onto another table)...I'm a hard woman [stern look]

Mine beat their iPod and love it,they use the ipod calculator to mark them.

One of my sons is a snail in all he does and cracked it so it is possible.

I think I got them to write them out first in the early days so they could see the patterns.

Hi mammatotwo:

Just looking at your post, it occurs to me that she may need practice but in a new way.

There's a free version of Timez Attack (a dungeon's a dragon's style video game where you travel through platforms solving multiplication problems). It will start whereve your DD is at and work up through the times tables with her.

Basically you travel through a maze and every now and then come across a multiplication problem. It is shown first as multiple additions (so 5 x 5 will result in 5 snails on the floor which you round up and the computer counts off for you - 5, 10, 15, 20, 25). You then throw the snails (magically now changed to blue balls) against a wall and they are counted off again (5, 10, 15, 20, 25) and then the formal multiplication problem (5 x 5) is shown vertically and you answer it. These problems are presented in groups of 3, afterwards an ogre appears and quizzes you on what you've just learned. At the end of each level and even bigger ogre quizzes you on everything. If you pass, you're allowed to go on to the next level.

They also offer a division (inverse multiplication version).

We found the video game format made practicing seem more like playing and therefore both DDs were much more willing to put in the time. Also, you just get them started and then leave them to it (so easy on the parents).

INFO for TIMEZ ATTACK here: www.bigbrainz.com/. There are larger version you have to pay for, but we found the free version was enough.

HTH