The 144 Maths Challenge in Year 2

[TrojaninTroy]

Our child's teacher introduced this to our child and some others back in October. We're a bit puzzled as to why because this indie school otherwise runs a straight Year 2 maths curriculum and anyway it is not a requirement to be able to answer all tables in random order with 100% fluency and accuracy until the end of Year 4.

DC is very numerate and willing to have a go, but the scores aren't improving week after week and we're not inclined to put pressure on to improve them. Not when it's remotely a requirement for Year 2. We know that some children have completed the challenge, but that's because they've been doing Kumon maths for years.

I am thinking to contact her about this but before doing so wanted to find out if this is now a thing in Year 2.

It's not part of year 2 curriculum, no.

It isn't developmentally imappropriate to introduce times tables early though. It's just a memory game really. As it makes many areas of KS2 maths much easier, I can't see harm in introducing early provided the children know number bonds and the concept of multiplication as "lots of," as an array and as repeated addition.

There's also no harm in you not pushing it if it's not working for him just now. Focus on a few tables facts at a time instead.

Thanks. My feeling is that it is just a memory game and that if it doesn't continue to be practised DC will forget it anyway.

Some children have completed the 144 and are now getting Abacus challenges from the standard year 2 textbook. DC's class teacher has said that until DC completes the 144 Challenge they won't be set the challenges that these other kids are now getting. But standard year 2 is 2x and 5x and 10x tables, so I don't get why my child can't be given a standard Year 2 challenge. It seems as absurd as saying that until DC can read every word in a book they will not be given the book to read.

I did not know that the 144 was not a standard year 2 exercise. My youngest did it last year when he was in year 2 in a state infant school. He loved it as it meant he could fill it in without having to really engage with anything. With times tables it is just practise. Your DC will pick it up soon.

Thanks @Cormoransjacket. I know DC will pick it up. But we don't feel inclined to push DC with this as knowing the full x tables is not relatable to the rest of the Year 2 curriculum, and we don't think it should be used as a barrier something else that would be more relevant to the Year 2 curriculum, which appears to be the case here.

Based on what you've said, I think a chat with the teacher is a good idea.

If the school really is insisting that children are fluent in all times tables (Y4 target) before being allowed to tackle challenges that are more relevant to the Y2 curriculum, it would be interesting to hear the teacher justify this.

There may be a simple explanation though, so I'd definitely approach it as a 'chat' rather than a 'complaint'.

Sometimes it's easier to play the school's game though. In my DD's (state) school they introduced Times Tables Rock Stars at the start of Y3, and it quickly became apparent that it would be worthwhile to get the learning done, as my DD disliked the pressure of having a new times table thrust upon her with the clock ticking.

I signed up for a home account on TTRS and helped her to learn one times table at a time, then tested her on different combinations of tables using TTRS until, by the end of that term, she was fluent with them all.

Super Movers on BBC Teach has some times tables songs which drove me mad, but which DD quite liked.