Times tables testing causing upset for ds

[thinkingmakesitso]

Ds is in year 3 and parents have been asked this year to help with learning the times tables. We have done so, a little sporadically tbh, but for months I have been confident that he knows them up to the 7 times table. At the Feb parents' evening I asked whether he was where he should be regarding them, and was told he was. A couple of weeks ago a note was placed in his book bag asking to help him learn the 8 times tables, which I did.

This week ds has been upset nearly every night saying he has not done well in the tests. He has not had a written test , but the teacher tests them verbally. It seems they are having a push on it as it has replaced quiet reading after lunch. Ds says he can't cope with the pressure and has got them all wrong - a mixture of the 4s and 8s. He has definitely known the 4s for ages, and he has got the 8s right consistently at home over the last couple of weeks. I test him by asking them in a random order, so it's not that that's throwing him. There is a bronze -gold system for those getting them right, and he says he is on 'nothing', which upsets him, and is frustrating as he does know them. I think the teacher has built the whole thing up a bit, and this has got to ds, who is something of a perfectionist, and it has backfired for him.

Ds has always been a high-achiever at school (apart from art!) and is not used to failing. I am very aware, and always have been, that the time would come when something would not be easy for him, and that he would struggle with realising this, but it is hard to see him upset. I do realise everything can't always be done in a way that suits him, but it is a shame that he is feeling like this, when he has put the work in and has learnt them. I want to raise it with the teacher, not least to let her know I have helped him learn them, but it is hard to do it informally as I don't do drop-offs/pick-ups. Ex does, but he is not totally reliable and will probably not bother unless ds is really upset. Comments in the reading diary often go unnoticed.

Any suggestions about how I could help ds cope with this pressure, and how to raise it with his teacher would be great.

I often suggest to learn the ones related to other tables:

Thus: 2 4 & 8 go together, as 4 is the doubling of 2; 8 is doubling of 4.

Thus: 3 6 & 12 as these also double up.

So if they write them out, grouped like that they should see the 'pattern'.

Also, if they have a solar powered calculator (no battery to run out) it can be done by 'repeated addition'.

Enter 2 + 2 = then keep pressing =, and that will add on the same amount each time.

Similarly 8 + 8 = and keep pressing =.

That should reveal how the various tables are connected.

I'd try to understand exactly how they are being tested at school and why this is throwing your DS so much. I find it extremely strange that a child who knows his tables as well as you suggest he does would get thrown by being exposed to them in a different format. This suggests he's perhaps not as secure as you think he is - maybe he is great at learning them at home and remembering short term but actually when he's expected to remember them more quickly or jumbled up with others it's revealing the gaps in his knowledge.

My dd (year 3) is also on 8 times tables and I pointed out to her that all she needs to actually learn by heart is 8x8 and 8x9. Sometimes kids forget times tables is reversible and she was happy be reminded that 7x8 is the same as 8x7.

My dd gets tested weekly in writing having a test of 4 times tables in a grid muddled up and they need to complete it under 3 min.

it does sound like he knows them but not as secure as you think, ie he is too slow when asked them verbally in an open forum in class when anyone can answer.
just keep working on them. DD (yr4) knows hers but still says the rhyme in her head/on her fingers which is fine for tests but too slow for the verbal "give me the answer" scenario.

DD uses the Squeeble app for practise and we time her now. It gives a bit of pressure but nothing too much.

We make sure she understands them obviously but the rest is practice and really knowing them by heart.

Does he know all variations eg. How many 8s are there in 56? rather than just knowing the straight times tables?

It sounds as though it is the way it is being tested that is the problem; of suddenly being put on the spot to answer in front of the rest of the class and the more he gets it wrong the more the pressure builds for next time.
If you are not able to mention it to the teacher, I would reassure your son that he knows them and that is what is important. Ask him if he thinks this is the reason he is getting them wrong and at least let him know it is nothing to worry about.

As well as written tests, we also practise times tables by playing a game called 'Round the World', where one child moves around the classroom, competing with their neighbour for speed recall. The fastest child moves on each time.

This is to encourage the children to get to the the stage when they have instantaneous recall of the times table facts.

It sounds as though your DS may still be having to count up in his head to get the answer. If you say 'What is 4 times 7?', can he say '28!' straight away, or does he have to count up '4, 8, 12, 16, 20, 24, ....28!'

This instantaneous recall is really important - if he is calculating 95 x 84, it takes SO much longer to work out each part of the sum if he's having to count up each part, not to mention the likelihood of losing track of where he is in the main calculation.

Don't forget to ask the questions in different ways, too - 'How many 6s in 54?' '7 x 8 = 48 - True or false?'

HTH