Do children need to learn times tables?
Yes. Multiplication facts are enormously helpful in Maths calculation.
Nothing has changed.
Some children have great difficulty committing these facts to memory.
Nothing has changed here either.
So… what’s the best way to help a child learn times tables?
1 Make sure they understand what they mean
We often take this for granted because as adults we think it’s obvious. For many children, however, it isn’t obvious at all. So, when working on a table, it’s really important to check that your child can represent some of the facts within it using hands-on materials. Does he know that 5 times 3 means 5 lots of 3, and can he show you this with pop-sticks, pegs or something else you have to hand?
2 Make sure they can skip-count in the table pattern
If a child has not had practice skip-counting, eg in threes from 0 to 36, learning the three times table is very abstract, and although he may be able to say the pattern in the short-term, he is likely to have trouble remembering it. Use a number grid so he sees the number pattern in a table while skip-counting. There are downloadable grids here. Take turns with him to say the next number in the pattern.
3 Make sure they learn the easier tables first
The easiest tables to learn are 1s, 2s, 5s and 10s. This is because the numbers have a nice, easy-to-see pattern.
The rest have more obscure patterns and will require extra skip-counting practice.
Help your child by taking turns to say the facts. Not only does it help model the pattern and keep on track, it also removes a great deal of stress, and can change your child’s attitude about tables from negative to positive.
Work on the first 4 facts in one table until your child can remember them:
Take turns to start so your child doesn’t always get the same facts. When he can do this with you confidently, give the challenge of saying the 4 facts by himself. Then move on to the next 4 facts in the table, and finally the last 4.
The great thing about the 2 times table is that it makes the 4 times table very easy to learn. You just double the answers. This is something you should point out, providing you’ve worked on points 1 & 2 above in relation to the 4 times table.
The next table to focus on is the 3 times table. Work on points 1 & 2 and then work on the table in chunks of 4 facts as above. When that one has been learned, point out that he now knows the 6 times table. Show him that you can just double the answers after you’ve worked on points 1 & 2 to make sure he understands.
That leaves 7s, 8s and 9s.
The 8 times table is double the 4 times table. Brilliant! Use a 0-100 number grid to point this out.
The 9 times table has its own distinctive patterns. It’s a really fun table!
1×9= 9
2×9= 18 (1+8=9)
3×9= 27 (2+7=9)
4×9= 36 (3+6=9)
5×9= 45 (4+5=9)
6×9= 54 (5+4=9)
7×9= 63 (6+3=9)
8×9= 72 (7+2=9)
9×9= 81 (8+1=9)
10×9=90 (9+0=9)
11×9=99 (9+9=18, 1+8=9)
12×9=108 (10+8=18, 1+8=9)
One column of digits goes up 0123456789 and the other goes down 9876543210. They also pair off 09 90, 18 81, 27 72, 36 63, 45 54.
Now for the 7 times table.
Make the facts and skip-count using a number grid 0-100. Teach it in chunks of 4 facts also.
One last thing…
Point out the commutative nature of multiplication facts, eg 2 x 4 has the same answer as 4 x 2. However it does not mean the same thing, and you should get your child to make these facts with materials so this is clear.
