A question about times tables. Teachers? Anyone?

[seeker]

OK, when I was a child (back in the dark ages) children learned their tables by rote. It was boring, but it worked. Now they don't seem to learn them at all at school. My ds is expected to know 2x, 5x and 10x, I think, by the end of year 2. I don't see why by nearly 8 they shouldn't know them all. Once they are learned they are learned forever, and it is such a useful thing to know - even if you never do another bit of formal maths in your life!

There must be a very good reason for dropping learning tables, but I can't for the life of me think what it is. Everything is just SO much easier if you just know that 5x8 is 56!

So does anyone know what the reason is?

Stuffitllama, I'm not sure where you get the idea that primary children aren't learning tables. They are most certainly not out of fashion and are an intergral part of the primary maths curriculum. I have never taught in any school (even during a year of supply teaching in various schools) where children are not taught their times tables.

As for practising at home, what is wrong with that? It's used to reinforce the work done in class in the same way that children practise their spellings at home or read to a parent at home. It's not abdicating responsibility to parents its just a partnership.

Of course children who do not have that level of support at home will not achieve as well but that goes for every aspect of education. In my experience poor kids whose parents are interested in their education do just as well as more affluent kids with the same support. Parentalinput, especially at primary level has a dramatic effect.

I agree cushioncover. I happen to have a class at the moment but I generally supply teach and I have never been to a school where they don't learn tables(and expect them to practise at home).

You would have been OK Starlight as it tests a lot of things. You quicken up if you constantly use it. Teaching top ability maths group has kept me on my toes! Some of them are faster than me! It is in your DCs interests to practise at home, there are children who find it effortless and are very quick. They amaze me in the Countdown game that I recommended, I tend to panic when the clock starts ticking but they nearly all get to the target number or very close by the time the seconds are up.

I had to go.. someone came.. but thanks for the debate.

Excellent that you chant them Abbey one teaching assistant told me that they were reduced to whispering chanting so no one outside the classroom could hear them that's how out of fashion learning tables by rote has become in some areas.

You are partly right stuffitlama, I did keep quiet about doing it at one time, but luckily they are back now. I find games are better, Starlight, than putting someone on the spot!

Most schools all do maths at the same time so no-one is disturbed by chanting. Up until about Y5 they love chanting. Not just times tables but all sorts of maths.

Maths in primary school is usually a loud, vibrant lesson especially the first part and the plenary.

Have only skimmed this thread so apologies if others have already asked seeker where on earth she heard that learning tables had been dropped?

Starlight Mackenzie -thank you so much.

I can easily see how that works.

i don't seem to have the sort of brain that can learn things by rote and Ds doesn't seem to be able to either. He is very slow at answering if I test him and we both get frustrated.

if we try to do them like a rhyme on the walk to school we both get in a muddle.

From her own experience Vulgar, by the look of the OP, as mine has been.

All of mine have had to do them as homework under the NC and not in school. They are tested in school on them but they are not learned in school.

Two of my children are fine with this. One is not, and finds all homework a terrible trial. He is struggling as the maths gets harder -- though I know he is bright enough to understand the processes, he is distracted by the arithmetic which slows him down. I'm sure he's not the only one.

It's good that learning them by rote in school is coming back into fashion but unfortunately 15 years worth of children have been through the out of fashion phase.

If this is the case in your schools then you need to go in and ask why. It is absolutely not the case in the vast majority of schools across the country.

Maybe not anymore cushion but it is in mine..
and it's lovely they've seen the error of their ways but it doesn't help those who've lost out already...!