Times Tables - Reciting them 2 x 2 is 4, 3 x 2 is 6, methods to help with reciting?

[ukgirlatheart]

DD is getting worked up as for the first time she has to recite her timestables. The old fashioned way 1 x 2 is 2 2x2 is 4 etc... (She is year 6)

They have a test this week to recite them in front of the class but she keeps getting tongue tied and looses track, they have to do it without the latter otherwise they will fail

Any ideas on how to help her

First of all, can she do her times tables? Is it the performance aspect or the actual arithmetic that's the problem?

Maybe she could keep track of which one she's on, on her fingers. OK 11 and 12 are tricky but it might help.

How much notice have you had about this test? Can you discuss an alternative form of testing with her teacher, that's more likely to have a positive outcome, if it's performing in front of the class that's the problem?

Good luck!

Does she like singing? You can get CDs of times tables where's you can learn them with a song.
Or perhaps she could try writing them out lots of times and then try visualising them as she recites.

Sing your times tables with Percy Parker available as an app or cd

Group together tables that are related:

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'.

thanks everyone - she knows her tables it the reciting she gets fumbled with. BUt the suggestion of using fingers is a good one.

Hi there, we have used a mobile maths game with quite some success. 10 mins playing most days has improved my son and daughter's instant recall of times tables. Over the summer holidays they played the game most days and the difference has been amazing. It is called Maths Rock and can be downloaded from the appstore or google play store. The links are on the website www.madrocksolutions.com....hope it helps x