Why are times tables called times tables?

[ClawHandsIfYouBelieveInFreaks]

I'm dreadful at maths....always have been. DD2 isn't...she's 6 and her homework for half term is to approach the 2, 4, 6 and 10 times tables....it says they're not expected to learn all of them but see how they go with it and carry on if possible and over next term.

So....thinking about them tonight I thought "Times?" "Why times?" does it refer to doing something a number of times? What exactly?

Also what do they say these days? Having questioned the phrase "2 times 2 is 4" I want to say "2 2s are 4....3 2s are 6" and so on...but I realise I will need to say it however they do at school...what's the norm? Also any tips or games you'd care to suggest?

We practise counting up and down, say in 4's. Eg

Me "4"
DS "8"
Me "12"
DS "16".... And so on up to 48. We then go backwards.

Thinking of the answers as a series seems to help fix them in DS's mind.

But why are they called times tables? Thanks for the tip by the way.

If you have two 'three times' you have two and two and two, so it's two 'times' three

It's times because it's the number of 'times' you add that number, eg 3x2 is three lots of 2, or add 2, three times.
In my school we do both the 1x2=2, 2x2=4 etc, and we do sequencing, 2,4,6,8 etc. Singing the sequence is also the norm (singing helps you to remember), taking turns, asking each other the table in random order until one of you gets it wrong, awarding a point for each correct answer, anything like that helps.

I thought it was that MuminScotland but really...it seems like...bad grammar or something!

Should it be "adding tables" or something?

Times as in multiply. One number timsed by another.

ALL maths is adding. Interesting fact of the day

Titchy lol....my 10 year old has now surpassed my knowledge so I'm pretty much starting out still! Lottie Ah! You've reminded me that I've heard them called Multiplication Tables...or have I imagined that?

Multiplication is repeated addition so it's something like "start with 4. Add it repeatedly 6 times". I know that my daughter (now 20 and has A at a level in maths) found learning tables v difficult until she finally "got" the fact that she was actually adding-lots!! That helped her to see the relationship between multiplication and division too. She's a real maths/physics nerd and believes that a solid grasp of tables and an real understanding of place value are the foundation that everything else is built on.

Claw there are good maths work books with stickers on amazon you can get specific table ones.

Tables because you can write it out in a table form.

Times because you do the same thing a number of times. 5x6, you start with 5 (1 time), add another 5 (2 times) and you stop when you've done it 6 times, then add it all up and you've got 30. Times tables are basically a shorthand for multiple additions, but it can really speed things up as you use larger numbers.

And yes, they are times tables or multiplication tables - two names for the same thing.

You can substitute 'lots of' for 'times', as in '3 times 2' is '3 lots of 2' = 6.
It just means you're counting 2, three times.

My kids are not being taught 2 times 2 or 2 lots of 2 but just 2,4,6, etc.
Which means when you ask them 8 x 2 they are stumped.
I have tried teaching them the way I was taught but it just confuses them.
And they only 'go up to 10' at school, so no 12x12 etc.

Is this standard now?

I think DS stopped at 10x10 for actually learning them, though they did higher numbers too just to get the feel of things.

But, since we went to decimal currency, there isn't nearly as much need to know your 12x table!

This may help with the understanding and learning:

?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

It's how many TIMES you have the number.
So 3 TIMES 4 is having 4 three times. 4+4+4
A bit like having 4 squares of chocolate, 3 times a day.

I was thinking about this driving home (I know, it's fascinating inside my head...) and particularly about children these days only going up to 10x table. I was thinking the one I use most at work (I work in IT) is 16x table and binary and hexadecimal numbers.

16, 32, 64, 128, 256, 512, 1024...

Under the new curriculum, by the end of year four children should be able to recall up to 12 x 12.

Beware, maths nerd moment coming up.

3 x 6 isn't three lots of six. The first number is how many in your starting group- in this case 3. The x 6 tells you how many sets of that group you need. So 3 + 3 + 3 + 3 + 3 + 3 OR 3 x 6.

Hi Claw:

I agree with My Cat - times tables - is learning (in olden days by rote I fear) tables of the number of times (multiples) of certain number.

I'm slightly surprised at the order - but unsure how old your DD2 is

our experience was that x0 and x1 were totally glossed over (but basically anything x 0 = 0 and anything x 1 = 1 - they're pretty easy rules to learn and fun to be able to say 9,999,999,999 x 0 = 0).

Usualy in Year 1 they'll work counting by 2, 5 and 10 - 2, 4, 6, 8.... 5, 10, 15, 20.... and 10, 20, 30, 40.... - so if your child can do that - they have in fact learned their x2, x5 and x10 tables.

slightly surprised to throw in x6 before x3 - but running with the homework you've been given - break it down into easy/ medium/ hard tasks:

x2 and x10 - should be easy -

x2 can be thought of as even numbers - can reinforce this by walking down the even side of the road. Once this is solidly learned it's useful to ensure they understand that x 2 is the same thing as doubling (comes in handy later).

x10 - you can use a hundred square - but they may already know this anyway - but basically noting the pattern

1 x 10 = 10
2 x 10 = 20
3 x 10 = 30
4 x 10 = 40
and so on

can be thought of as 1 x multiple & stick on the zero for ten place holder (but this is now very unfashionable).

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x4 is the next logical step

so in fact if you know your x2 table - you can try doubling those answers - which gives you your x4 table

1 x 2 = 2 and double that = 4 (4 x 1)
2 x 2 = 4 and double that = 8 (4 x 2)
3 x 2 = 6 and double that = 12 (4 x 3)
and so on....

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that leaves x 6 (tricky if you don't know times 3 - so you may want to go off plan and learn to count in threes first - also explaining that this is tripling).

If you know your x3 table than in fact x6 is just doubling your x3 facts:

3 x 1 = 3 double that = 6 (6 x 1)
3 x 2 = 6 and double that = 12 (6 x 2)
3 x 3 = 9 and double that = 18 (6 x 3)

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whilst learning about times tables useful to learn that the answer is the same no matter what order of numbers - commutative rule:

3 x 2 = 6 and also 2 x 3 = 6

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Free resources:

Woodlands Junior school Maths Zone has a lovely multiplication section with lots of games and ideas: resources.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/maths/timestable/index.html

Maths Champs has some sweet video games to help practice/ reinforce these tables:

2/5/10 tables in 5-7 yrs old zone: www.mathschamps.co.uk/Multiple_Match/Year2/Game1

3/4 tables in 7- 9 zone: www.mathschamps.co.uk/Multiple_Match/Year3/Game1

The 7 - 9 zone has a game with 6, 7 and 8 (but as it includes x7 and x8 facts) I think that will be too hard.

A fun way to review this is to play times table SNAP:
ordinary deck of 52 cards. Ace = 1, 2 -9 are as marked, Jack = 10/ Queen = 11 and King = 12. Decide which table you want to practice - say x4. I tend to write this down on a post-it - just to remind everybody what we're doing. Shuffle deck and place all cards in a pile, face-down. Flip first card - say it's 8 - so what is 8 x 4? First to shout 32 gets the card. Winner is the person with most cards at the end.

I will warn you this can get very fast and furious and voluble - so perhaps avoid playing this in a restaurant. We got a bit out of hand really.

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This really dates me - but in the US during the 1970s - they use to run educational infomertials about grammar and times tables - with some very catchy tunes. They may also help: www.vrml.k12.la.us/curriculum/schoolhouserock/math_shr.htm

I know times tables seems boring and it's difficult to explain why they're important - but try and think about it as working out how many of something you'd need if you were giving 3 of something (say candies, balloons or toys) to all the people coming to your party?

Beyond any immediate party planning needs - it is important to appreciate that multiples (times tables) is central to a lot of higher maths calcualtions - it really does underpin a lot of what you go on to do in senior school: www.greatmathsteachingideas.com/2014/01/05/youve-never-seen-the-gcse-maths-curriculum-like-this-before/

HTH