Hi mjnh12:
We went through something similar with DD1 especially - whereby the school notionally wanted her to learn times tables but their version of supporting this was a weekly test, laid out exactly the same way, given week after week - she memorized the correct answers, but in fact didn't know how to do them in new contexts.
First off - I strongly advise you as a parent to have a good read of the Year 4 section of the Programme for Maths for the new national curriculum: www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-curriculum-in-england-mathematics-programmes-of-study/national-curriculum-in-england-mathematics-programmes-of-study - on page 25 under year 4 it explains that during year 4 pupils should master all 12 times tables (actually should be 13 because x0 should be included in there).
Second - there is a way of learning tables that is much less work.
Many schools gloss over x0 and x1 - so start off by ensuring that your child knows anything x0 = 0 and anything x 1 = 1
Schools also don't seem very good at explaining the commutative property of multiplication - so 2 x 3 is exactly the same thing/ answer as 3 x 2: e.g. www.coolmath.com/prealgebra/06-properties/02-properties-commutative-multiplication-01.
starting with x2/ x5/ x10 is classic and your child should also have prior to formally learning multplication tables been counting by 2s/ 5s/ 10s in KS1.
The next table to learn is x 3 - counting by 3s can work. If not turn your hands over and note that on fingers you have 3 lines. Thumbs don't work but I just tap the end of the thumb (so line/ line/ end of thumb). This way you have an automatic hand calculator to x10.
Using your hand calculator (palms up) 4 x 3 - is holding up 4 fingers and counting the lines (finger 1 - 1-2-3-)/ (finger 2 - 4-5-6)/ (finger 3 - 7-8-9/ finger 4 - 10-11-12. 4 x 3 = 12.
The other things schools tend to fail to explain is that multiplication is multiple additions. This is useful when your hand calculator doesn't make it to x11 or x12.
So working out 3 x 12 or 12 x 3 -
1 full hand calculator (all 10 fingers & thumbs used = 30) + 2 fingers on the hand calculator (2 x 3 = 6) = 30 +6 = 36.
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Once you know times 3 I think the next thing is to explain doubling and tripling.
anything x 2 is doubled (adding a number + itself)
anythign x 3 is tripled (adding a number + itselt + itself again)
knowing this you can swiftly learn the rest of the times tables with doubling:
x4 - simple double x2 table facts (e.g. 4 x 4 is the same thing as 2 x 4 = 8 and double that = 16.)
x6 - simple - double x3 table facts (e.g. 6 x 4 is the same thing as 3 x 4 = 12 and double that = 24).
x8 (you can either double x4 table fact or triple x2 table fact - i.e. 8 x 3 can be thought of as the same thing as 4 x 3 = 12 and double again = 24 or 8 x 3 can be thought of as 2 x 3 = 6/ double that = 12/ double that again = 24).
x12 works the same as x8 - you can either double x6 table fact or triple x 3 table fact - so 12 x 3 is the same thing as 6 x 3 = 18 and double that = 36 or 12 x 3 is the same thing as 3 x 3 = 9/ double that = 18/ double again = 36).
so you should now know x0/ x1/ x2/ x3/ x4/ x6/ x8/ x10/ x12. That leaves x7/ x9/ x11. Let's skip x7 for the moment (as sadly there are no tricks) and swiftly move on to x9 and x11.
x9 has all sorts of tricks.
Hand calculator trick: - basically palms up numbering thumb at far left 1 to thumb at far right 10. Just fold down the finger that represents the multiple of 9. So say you want to calculate 4 x 9 - fold down your left ring finger - you'll have fingers (& thumbs) up to the left of the folded finger (these are your tens digit) and fingers (&thumbs up) to the right of the folded finger - which are your units. In this case there are 3 fingers up to the left = 30 and 6 fingers up to the right = 6 - so 4 x 9 = 36.
The other thing is to notice the pattern:
1 x 9 = 09
2 x 9 = 18
3 x 9 = 27
4 x 9 = 36
5 x 9 = 45
6 x 9 = 54
7 x 9 = 63
8 x 9 = 72
9 x 9 = 81
10 x 9 = 90
so the first digit between x 1 and x10 is always 1 less than the multiple of 9 you're calculating. and the second digit is whatever number you add to the first to make 9. So for example 8 x 9 - one less than 8 = 7 so you know the number starts with 7 and what + 7 = 9 - well 2 - so the unit digit is 2. So 8 x 9 = 72.
after that the pattern doesn't work. BUT - for all 9s times tables the digits add up (sometimes you have to reduce a bit) but the digits all add up to 9.
11 x 9 = 99 (9 + 9 = 18 and 1 + 8 = 9) 99 is divisible by 9.
12 x 9 = 108 (1 + 0 + 8 = 9 so 108 is divisible by 9).
by the way this add up digits trick also works for x 3 so 237 - 2 + 3 + 7 = 12 and 3 can go into 12 so 3 can go evenly into 237. Indeed 237 divided by 3 = 79.
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11s table is easy up to x9 (just write whatever multiple down two times)
1 x 11 = 11
2 x 11 = 22
3 x 11 = 33
4 x 11 = 44
...
9 x 11 = 99
you should know 10 x 11 from tens table anyway or the trick of moving each digit to the left on place and placing a zero in the right most column.
so that leaves 11x 11 and 12 x 11
in fact like 9 there are tricks - once you have two digits you can do this little trick.
write the first and second digit a little apart and in the middle (in parenthesis) add the two digits together:
so 27 x 11 = 2 - (2+7) - 7 = 297
sometimes you have to carry
78 x 11 = 7 - (7+8) - 8 = 7 - (15) - 8 you'll need to carry the ten tens to the hundreds column - so 78 x 11 = (7 + 1) - 5 - 8 = 858.
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so that leaves 7 - but thinking about it you know x7 for all tables already - 1 x 7 or 9 x 7 or 12 x 7 etc.... the only one you don't know is 7 x 7. I wish I could say there was a trick for x7 but in fact there isn't - so the way I remember 7 x 7 is to remember it is a bit of a swine which in fact rhymes with 49.
BINGO! you know all 12 times tables (well 13 if you count zero).
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Ways to practice:
Woodlands Junior Maths Zone: resources.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/maths/timestable/
multiplication dot com: www.multiplication.com/games/all-games
you can practice by playing snap - chose a table to practice say x4 - use ordinary deck of cards - Ace = 1/ 2 - 9 as marked/ Jack = 10/ Queen = 11/ King = 12. Shuffle cards and place them face down. I tend to write x4 (or whatever multiple on a post-it and place it by the deck). Flip card - say it's a jack - first to shout out 40 wins the card. The overall winner is the one with most cards at the end of the game.
You can also practice by playing snakes and ladders as multiples of the roll of one or two dice. So again - I'd write down the multiple on a post-it - let's say x4 and then I'd roll the dice. Say I get 8 - so what is 8 x 4 = 32 - I can move ahead 32 spaces. you'll have to play the board more than once - we tended to play forward and backwards until we lost interest or I gave up in despair!
Finally - if you son likes video games - try downloading timez attack. There is a free version (2 platforms) or you can pay for more snazzy version of the games with more worlds to explore. Basically you're cast as a young ogre who must go through a maze solving multiplication problems which are shown as both multiple additions and traditional vertical problems. Every now and then you're quizzed by an ogre and at the end of the level you're quizzed by a giant ogre. Doesn't feel like practice - is a bit tense (so you're doing this under pressure) - but is a lot of fun: www.bigbrainz.com/
HTH