How on EARTH do you teach the times tables!?

[Boco]

dd is year 2, her homework is learning the 2x tables. Easy, she can say 2, 4, 6, 8 10 etc. But if you say what is 2x8 she looks blank and says 'what do you mean?'.

I can't seem to be able to explain the concept of TIMESing - I've been saying two lots of, which I thought might help, but she's not getting it. I've shown her a number grid, i've drawn two lots of cakes, four lots of two cakes, six lots two cakes etc - i've written them all down and tried just getting her to memorize - finally I've tried collapsing exasperated as she shouts 'I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT!'

How how how how how?

i have sort of chanted it with mine

or if they need to actually see it to understand it I got the penny jar out and shown 2 lots of and 3 lots of etc. need quite a few pennies though for the bigger ones!

I wouldnt worry too much, because it suddenly just clicks

my boss swears on singing them to her children . charliecat posted a good method but it confused me.

oh Boco, you are doing really well. Perfectly good approaches both of them.

here is a secret useful teacher site

With two you can bang on about doubling in various ways too, wacky machines/scary clones etc

Can also think about it as 'repeated addition'

Oh lordy I hope it clicks soon - I have realised that I am not as patient as I thought, and my communication skills seem very inadequate.

I just found out that I'm allergic to pennies! So that is a good idea but I will need to wear gloves. Another entertaining evening in the boco house, lining up pennies with my mittens on while shouting 'WHY DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND ME!'

Give her small objects and GROUP them. two groups of eight.

i used tic tacs last week with ds(7)

Damn I also have a vague recollection of a great approach involving a magic table and some cups.....

will try to remember and find link.

Can you use sweets/favourite treats as the counting devices? [bribe]

She'll be Carol Vorderman's replacement before you know it.

Alternatively, watch this and empathise

Teach as 'lots of'. So 2 x8 is 2 lots of 8. Draw two boxes with 8 balls in each. Then actually do it-get two saucers and put 8 raisins on each.

Use an addition sign between the two to show the correlation between addition and multiplication. Very important that they see multiplication as repeated addition.

I have a montessori multiplication table and those maths rods. We also use smarties and counters of a varying variety.

Oh and singing in the car with an awful CD!!

2+2
2+2+2
2+2+2+2

Show her these

Then ask how many 2's are there (do it a line at a time)

Then ask her how many times she see 2

Then use the chanting method (either up the stairs - if you have 12 or on the way to school, over & over again)

Oh and after the 2xtable should come the 4xtable not the 3xtable. (I know 5xand 10x are in there too)
By doing 4xafter 2x you consolidate the idea of repeated addition. Show the patterns. Talk about doubles etc.

We have done this, only on tues night as it happens... we have downloaded the sing-along versions, got a little fabby book from tesco, and have taught him [he's dyslexic but ok with numbers. not fab, but ok] the 2x with 'pairs' of stuff - all lying around his bedroom!
two shoes [a good name for a mner ]
two torches two jumpers
two books
... you get the idea
each time ending with "and a stinky pair of socks (boy humour!)
he got it really well

• one lot of two, well that's the shoes = 2

two lots of two, that means the shoes and the jumpers = 4 counting all the items each time which reinforced the concept really well.

If giggle DS1 can do it this way, believe me anyone can
the bonus is that my just-5yo and 2yo got the idea too
so won't have to teach it again next year and in 2yrs time then....

I'm so glad I'm not the only parent struggling to help their child with times tables. My DS2 is in yr 3 and just when I think he's got it, I realise that he hasn't.

ME: What's 7 times 3?
DS2: 21
ME: What's 3 times 7? or 21 divided by 3?
DS2: huh??

The homework sheets from school keep going on about "related number facts" and giving examples like the above. And he whines about it too...

I'm obviously getting it all wrong .

Those links are great though - thank you

some people thought this was helpful

twos are double
fours are double double
eights are double double double

Thank you! Great ideas and great links. Will come at it fresh tomorrow and hope we can avoid shouting at each other. I like the pairs and the stairs.

And the beans?

I'm not really understanding the TV licence link though.

I have just realised I may have likened your DD to Baldrick. I in no way intended that to happen [crass] [beats self] [thinks before she posts] [dons hair shirt]

oops hold on lol

OH God the beans are where we are now - that was a snapshot of this evening! DD has no facial hair and we don't own ruffs - but all the rest.

hopefully this is it, times tables at your fingers. Excellent for children who do not get it the usual way