How can I help?

We would recommend a number of strategies to support your child in the run-up to and after the times tables test including:

• Times tables chanting: “6, 12, 18, 24…”;   "  1 times 6 is 6, 2 times 6 is 12...";
• Times tables chanting in reverse order: “108, 99, 90, 81…”;
• Using times tables songs;
• Using Times Table Rock Stars;
• Using free online games, like those on the class pages of our school website;
• Asking your child multiplication calculations out of order, like: “What is 4 x 7? What is 9 x 5? What is 6 x 11?”;
• Using pasta pieces or pebbles to show groups of numbers representing times tables, e.g. four groups of three pasta shells to show 3 x 4 = 12
• Testing every so often after learning and practising times tables. 

Please note: it is important that we don't simply just test our children constantly as testing is not learning. Using some of the ideas above and then checking how well the learning is going is more beneficial as this gives an idea to which tables need practise and which methods work better for your child than others.