App to help with times tables?

[EustaciaVye]

DD (10) has always struggled with times tables. she knows them and gets there eventually (often with use of fingers) but her slow recall is starting to affect her results in 2-3 step maths problems.
Any suggestions for apps that aren't so basic she is insulted, but that will help her memorise/recall.
Thanks

Have you tried squeebles my DD started with it at 7 and still loves it at 10.

Thanks lone cat. I will take a look.

I came on to recommend squeebles as well.

I wrote times tables xpress for android. It lacks the fun element, but I found the method very effective for increasing rapid recall. I combined this with good old fashioned pen and paper tests which you can generate here.

The MathBoard app is really good and great fun to use. If your DD gets a bit stressed with the timer element, you can easily deactivate that part of it.

Squeebles Times Tables

I usually offer this for younger children, but DD may pick up something from it which will reinforce her knowledge and help her get to grips better with numeracy:

?QUOTE:

Practical things are best for grasping number concepts - bricks, Lego, beads, counters, money, shapes, weights, measuring, cooking.

Do adding, taking away, multiplication (repeated addition), division (sharing), using REAL OBJECTS as just 'numbers' can be too abstract for some children.

Number Bonds of Ten forms the basis of much maths work, so try to learn them. Using Lego or something similar, use a LOT of bricks (of just TWO colours, if you have enough) lay them out so the pattern can be seen of one colour INCREASING while the other colour DECREASES. Lay them down, or build up like steps.

So:

ten of one colour none of other
nine of one colour one of other
eight of one colour two of other
seven of one colour three of other

etc, etc

then of course, the sides are equal at 5 and 5; after which the colours 'swap over' as to increasing/decreasing.

To learn TABLES, do them in groups that have a relationship, thus:

x2, x4, x8

x3, x6, x12

5 and 10 are easy

7 and 9 are rather harder.

Starting with TWO times TABLE, I always say: "Imagine the class is lining up in pairs; each child will have a partner, if there is an EVEN number in the class. If one child is left without a partner, then the number is ODD, because an odd one is left out."

Use Lego bricks again, lay them out in a column of 2 wide to learn 2x table. Go half way down the column, and move half the bricks up, so that now the column is 4 bricks wide. That gives the start of 4x table.

Then do similar things with 3x and 6x.

With 5x, try and count in 'fives', and notice the relationship with 'ten' - they will alternate, ending in 5 then 10.

It is important to try and UNDERSTAND the relationships between numbers, and not just learn them 'by rote'.

I am sorry it seems complicated trying to explain these concepts, but using Lego or counters should make understanding easier.

An inexpensive solar powered calculator (no battery to run out!) can help learn tables by 'repeated addition'. So: enter 2+2 and press = to give 4. KEEP PRESSING = and it should add on 2 each time, giving 2 times table.

There are good web sites, which can be fun to use :

www.ictgames.com/

www.resources.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/maths/index.html

UNQUOTE

Not an APP but Percy Parker songs (download on iPod) and played and sung in the car every morning on the way to school works wonders.

I agree with Percy Parker. DD asks to sing along when she's eating breakfast/in the bath/sat on the loo

Hi EustaciaVye:

I think times tables are ideally suited for video games - but I guess the question is whether your DC likes them. However there are tons out there.

As it sounds like speed is the issue - can I recommend (and I do highly recommend this) TIMEZ ATTACK. You're cast as an ogre and in the free version work your way through a castle or a dungeon solving multiplication problems. These are presented as both multiple additions (so 4 x 8 is counted up 4 - 8 - 12 - 16 - 20 - 24 - 28 - 32) by throwing snails at a wall (don't ask - but they aren't harmed in any way) and then you have the traditional vertical problem and you type in the answer to 4 x 8 which is 32. Every so often a medium-sized ogre comes out and quizzes you on the last few times table facts you've been reviewing and after so many levels a giant ogre gives you a quiz reviewing everything you've covered so far. The programme will test your child and start from where they're at and anything they miss a lot just appears over and over again until they get it right. It can be stressful, but my girls were so busy playing the game, they never saw it as LEARNING MY TIMES TABLES.

Link: www.bigbrainz.com/

there are versions you can buy with more of a range of platforms, but frankly the free version did the job for my DDs. There also is a division version testing 'inverse facts' (i.e. 32 divided by 8 = ?).

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Lots of great resources / games links from Woodlands Junior School:
resources.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/maths/timestable/index.html

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lots of resources/ games links from Multiplication dot com (again all free): www.multiplication.com/

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If your school subscribes to My Maths - there are all sorts of games on there which you can play to review your times table skills - SNAKY SUMS is especially good. And there are platform games where you have to solve simple times table facts/ inverse multiplication facts whilst being chased by robots (sorry can't remember name of that game).

Same type of thing on Education City - if your school subscribes or Manga High or Sum Dog
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Finally - some old fashioned games can help.

If there is a times table that is really tricky for your DC try times table snap.

Write the table (let's say x7) on a post it. Shuffle the deck of cards (Ace = 1, 2 - 9 as numbered, Jack = 10, Queen = 11 and King = 12). Flip over a card - let's say it's Jack which is = 10. So 7 x 10 = 70. Keep the Jack. Or if you don't know it, the next person flips the card and answers and gets your missed card and their card. The person with the most cards at the end wins.

You can start off by taking equal turns. One turn each. Or you can spice it up by keeping on playing each time you get it right. (That makes it faster).

Once you're really good - you can play 2 deck version. One deck for the times table and one for the multiple. Flip deck 1 - get a 8 (so working x8 facts - flip deck 2 - get a 9 - 9 x 8 = 72 - collect both cards.

Can't get a bit raucous when you get good - so beware.

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Finally - try and work out where the problems lie. Remember that doubling really helps with other facts:

once you know x2 and x3 - doubling allows you to know

x4 (x2 fact and just double again)
x8 (x2 fact and double and then double again/ or x4 fact and double)

x6 (x3 fact and just double again)
x12 (x3 fact and double and then double again/ or x6 fact and double)

Have posted elsewhere about x9 patterns. (e.g. hand calculator for x9 www.kidzworld.com/article/4107-tips-and-tricks-to-tame-your-times-tables

x11 - is just the multiple written down 2 times for up to x9 (11 x 3 = 33, etc...) after that there's a trick.

Any two digit number x 11 - separate first and second digit and put the two added together in the middle. So for example 42 x 11

4 - (4 + 2) - 2
462

42 x 11 = 462

If you have numbers in the middle >9, just carry. So 48 x 11

4 - (4 + 8) - 8
4 - (12) - 8 (need to carry the ten to the hundreds column)
(4 + 1) - 2 - 8
528

48 x 11 = 528

and really once you know all those - that just leaves x7 - but because you know all other tables you know x7 facts except for 7 x 7 which you just have to learn is 49 - although I find it helps to think of the 7 times table as a swine, which rhymes with 49.

HTH

Some fantastic advice here. Thanks everyone .

With my Dd I drew up grids and timed her. We stated off 1 to 5's and then progressed to 1 to 12's we did one every night and kept a record of times, so she could see the achievement of beating her time little by little, now she's a tables whizz. (I attached little treats, for beating time or just gave loads of praise when she bettered herself)

Marking place