How bad will it be to start Y7 not knowing times tables?

[LucasNorthCanSpookMeAnytime]

Just that really.

Do you know what - if there isn't any underlying reason - learning difficulties (maybe dyslexia/ dyscalcula) - then maybe what you're doing isn't working.

DD1 had her struggles with maths and it took us a while to twig she learns best by doing and learns more quickly through visual demosntration than verbal explanation.

so our solutions:

also agree with above that www.multiplication.com has great resources/ explanation & games are useful.

also games on mathschamps (spread across age ranges): www.mathschamps.co.uk/#home

also games on Woodlands Junior School Maths Zone: resources.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/maths/ - just select multiplication and links through to lots of great games.
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TIMES TABLE SNAP: Ordinary deck of cards (Ace = 1, 2 - 9 as marked, Jack = 10, Queen = 11, King = 12). Decide on a times table - say x 4. Shuffle cards and place deck face down. Write x4 down on a post-it note/ scrap of paper and place next to deck.

Flip first card - say it's 8 - first to shout out 32 gets the card - winner is the person with most cards in their deck.

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If the problem is that she knows them but needs to build up speed try Timez Attack. Just go for the free download version - with castle/ dungeon platforms. It will test your child and start from where they're at - you are cast as an ogre and you run through your castle/ dungeon solving multiplication table problems which are presented both as multiple additions and as traditional vertical problems. Every now and then you're quizzed and at the end of the level a giant ogre comes and quizzes you. It can be a bit stressful - but it really forces you to work more swiftly.

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I'd also discuss patterns with your DC. I think a lot of schools miss the boat on this one.

First off - do they get doubling and that x2 is effectively doubling any number. If they get that - then they can think of a lot of times tables as 'doubling'

So if you know your x2 and x3 tables cold (so either counting by intervals or just know them - you're actually well on your way):

x4 - effectively doubling x2 table facts
x6 - effectively doubling x3 table facts

x8 - well this is either doubling x4 table facts or you can think of it as
double x2 table fact and double again (2 x 2 x 2 = 8)

x12 - again this is either doubling x6 table facts or you can think of it as
double x 3 table fact and double again (3 x 2 x 2 = 12).

You can also think of x 12 as x10 fact + x 2 fact - so 8 x 12 can break down to (8 x 10) + (8 x 2) = 80 + 16 = 96

x10 - effectively doubling x5 table fact
Oh and by the way only x5 and x10 tables can end in 0
and only x5 tables can end in 5

so knowing 0 x anyting = 0 and 1 x anything = itself - and presuming you already know x 5/ x10 - with doubling that means you know:

x0, x1, x2, x3, x4, x5, x6, x8, x10 and x12

that leaves x7, x9 and x11.

Well let's leave 7 for last.

x9 - full of patterns
First off use your hand calculator - video here - basically with hands palm up and thumbs at far ends - all you need do is flip down the mutliple you want to use - so say 4 x 9 - flip down your left ring finger - you'll have 3 fingers up to the left (that's the tens digit) and 6 fingers up to the right of your ring finger (that's the units). 3 - 6 = 36.

There's also a brilliant pattern

0 x 9 = 0 (anything x 0 = 0)

pattern starts from x1 to x10
1 x 9 = 09
2 x 9 = 18
3 x 9 = 27
4 x 9 = 36
5 x 9 = 45
6 x 9 = 54
7 x 9 = 63
8 x 9 = 72
9 x 9 = 81
10 x 9 = 90

First off - in every answer for 9 x1 to 9 x10

so 9 x 4 = 36 - 3 + 6 = 9 or 9 x 8 = 72 (7 + 2 = 9)

by the way - the two digits add to 9 (in fact this trick works for all 9s times tables e.g. 14 x 9 = 126 (1 + 2 + 6 = 9)

And there's a pattern

Between x 1 to x10 for 9s times table - the tens digit is always one less than whatever the multiple of 9 you are calculating

so if it is 6 x 9 - then you know the answer starts 5 (one less than 6) and because you know that the units digit + the tens digit have to = 9 - gosh then if the number starts 5 the only possible answer for the units digit is 4 - so 6 x 9 = 54.

so 8 x 9 starts 1 less than 8 = 7? and 7 + ? = 9 - ? has to = 2 - so the answer is 72.

so that leaves 11 and 12.

Well 11 is easy -

11 x 9 = 99 (adding digits 9 + 9 = 18 adding again 1 + 8 = 9 - 9 trick still working).

12 x 9 - may be more tricky (either add up in your head 99 + 9 = 108 - or just apply doubling trick - so if you know your x6 table 6 x 9 = 54 and double that gives you 108 - (you don't have to do it 2 x 6 = 12 and then 12 x 9 you can do it 2 x 9 = 18 and then 18 x 6 or 6 x 9 = 54 and then 54 x 2 - basically 54 x 2 is easier as I don't like multiplying either x12 or x18 much.).

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So that's your 9s table squared away - let's try x11

Well gosh that's a doddle up to x10:

1 x 11 = 11
2 x 11 = 22
3 x 11 = 33
4 x 11 = 44
5 x 11 = 55
6 x 11 = 66
7 x 11 = 77
8 x 11 = 88
9 x 11 = 99

10 x 11 = 110 (with multiples of ten there are two ways of thinking about it you can either think 'add a zero on the end' - or you can think move digits over one column to the left - I find it helps with multiplying x10/ x100/ x1000 - to note how many zeros and then either add zeros or move columns to left accordingly - if you see what I mean:

eg 12 x 1000 - 3 zeros - so add 3 zeros behind 12 -giving you 12,000
or move the number 12 over 3 columns to the left and mark each new empty column with a 0

one jump left gives you 120
two jumps left gives you 1200
three jumps left gives you 12000

THERE IS A TRICK with X11 WITH TWO DIGIT NUMBERS >10

take the first digit and the second digit
pull them apart
in the middle add the first & second digit together
(sometimes you get an answer in the middle that is more than one digit - so you'll need to carry)

examples

13 x 11 - think first digit - (first + second digit) - second digit or
1 - (1 + 3) - 3 = 143

15 x 11 - think 1 - (1+5) - 5 = 165

now one that means you have to carry

78 x 11 = 7 - (7+8) - 8
= 7 - (15) - 8 means we have to carry the ten to the hundreds column
= (7 + 1) - 5 - 8
= 858

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OK so that's everybody but x 7

BUT WAIT you actually have done most of the work

you know

0 x 7 = 0
1 x 7 = 7
2 x 7 = 14
3 x 7 = 21
4 x 7 = 28
5 x 7 = 35
6 x 7 = 42

8 x 7 = 56 (can think of this as 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - so anytime you see 7 x 8 or 8 x 7 the answer is 56).

9 x 7 = 63 (use those tricks)
10 x 7 = 70
11 x 7 = 77
12 x 7 = 84 (either think of it in terms of doubling x6 fact or x10 fact + x2 fact)

so gosh that means only 7 x 7 is missing

I'm afraid there is no trick but I've always found it helpful to think of 7 x 7 as a SWINE which oddly enough rhymes with 49.

and there by all times tables x0 - x12.

HTH

sorry forgot link to Timez Attack - www.bigbrainz.com/

PastSellByDate, wow that's amazing, thank you! I will work through all that with her.

This is a very good book of techniques if you can't learn you tables, and only 1p at present via Amazon. It has been out of print for a while.

Ds2 is dyslexic, we spent hours doing times tables!
He still cant remember most of them but he knows the tricks above.

He also uses his fingers to do 6x - 9x:

If you are doing 8x7
On one hand put down 2 fingers leaving the difference from 5-8 up. So three fingers up.
On the other put down 3 fingers, representing 7.
Add the fingers up together, so 3+2=5.
Times this by 10=50.
Multiply the folded fingers on each hand together, 2x3=6
Add this to the 50 and you get 56.

It works for numbers 6-9.

Ds knows 2s, 3s, 4s, 5s,and 10s.
He goes over 10 by breaking it down so
12x14 becomes
10x14 + 2x14 =140+28=168.

Hth (its late, Im tired, could be gobbledgook).

Hakluyt

That's interesting.

I'm a geek, I do maths problems for fun but I don't trust times tables. I was asked yesterday, 'what's 7 x 7' I said 49 without thinking, then said I think that's right, it sounds right but I had to check to be sure.

Being good at times tables us nothing to do with being good at maths.

The skill to retain times tables answers is probably closer linked to general memory skills, being able to learn spellings etc.

My youngest cannot do times tables fast, he gets "into trouble" for being slow, yet he is very good at maths in general. He just hates doing any sum without thinking about the answer.

Times tables are really a tool for those people, like me, who are NOT great at maths, a crutch for the less able.

Meanwhile my son can convert any amount of Euros to pounds faster in his head than I can type it into a calculator, so he will be fine.

"Being good at times tables us nothing to do with being good at maths."

Absolutely not. But if you aren't "good at maths", knowing your tables backwards, forwards and upsidedown with fast recall will make a huge difference to getting the maths qualifications you might need.

My dd is a case in point.

Exactly, if your comfortable with maths and like solving puzzles you can work around not knowing your tables. Dyslexics like me and DD1 like maths because, unlike spellings, you can work the answer out, you don't have to rely on wonky memory cells.

If the sight of a maths paper panics you, having a good grasp of tables, (number-bonds and place value) is an enormous help. Throw in a basic understanding that fractions are just division and you can tackle whole chunks of SATs and y7/8 maths papers calmly.

When I did exams - in Scotland in the late 70s, we did O grade Arithmetic as well as O grade maths, they were valued as separate subjects.

Bravepotato - I take your point but I also think ElephantsNeverForgive and Hakluyt also have made good points - however your child knows their times table facts (and I think we have to have the scope to allow a number of methods - memorisation/ mnemonics/ tricks/ patterns/ counting up swiftly/ etc...) - what is clear is sound times table facts (both forward as standard whole number mutiplication from 0 x 0 to 12 x 12 and backwards (or inverse) facts so 36 divided 9 = ?) are crucial for underpinning further maths.

If you have mastered your multiplication tables then secondary (up to GCSE) curriculum is much more straightforward to access. If you're still struggling to work this stuff out - it's a lot more tricky - not impossible - but not straightforward.

This may help explain what I mean: www.greatmathsteachingideas.com/2014/01/05/youve-never-seen-the-gcse-maths-curriculum-like-this-before/

HTH

No, I agree!

I have another son who is dyslexic, he struggles with times tables, yet is good at mathematical problem solving.

It is so hard to get kids to remember stuff by rote if their brain isn't wired for that!

We are practising times Tables quiz ( an app) , but we always fall off the homework wagon mid holiday...