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Times Tables - Key Stage 1

 

Why are times tables important? 

 

You would be amazed at how much of our maths at school is based on tables.  It is important that your child knows their two, five and ten times tables by the end of Year Two. 

 

Useful tips to help your children to learn their tables at home 

 

  • When your child has begun to learn a table, chant the table for five minutes each day with them. 

  • It is important to say the whole table, not just the answers, again and again and again and again! 

  • Break down each table into manageable chunks.  For example, ask them 1 x 5, 2 x 5 and 5 x 5  until they know the answers.  Then add the next one. 

  • Test your child by firing questions at them, in order first and then out of order. 

  • If they have learnt them, they should be able to answer straight away.  If they are working them out in their heads, they haven’t learnt them yet. 

  • Keep checking that they still know the facts they have learnt. 

  • Encourage your child to write out the table they are learning again and again.  Keep chanting as often as possible. 

  • Display tables around different parts of the house so that your child sees them everywhere! 

  • Use a range of vocabulary—times, multiply, lots of, sets of….. 

 

Make it fun! 

 

Think of catchy rhymes to help your child remember a tricky table.   

 

Can you make some up? 

Two shoes kicked the door  

 

  2 times 2 equals 4 

 

Look for patterns or clever tricks. 

 

For example, you can rearrange

2 x 5 = 10 to learn 5 x 2 = 10 

 

If your child has learnt their five times tables, they can double these to learn the ten times tables. 

 

Say tricky tables in silly voices or even try singing them.  Even young children learn song lyrics very quickly and  easily! 

 

See if you can remember your times tables!  Let your child test you! 

 

Remember, practise makes perfect!

 

Use a multiplication square 

 

Multiplication squares are a fantastic resource for learning tables!  We are aiming for the time when the children no longer need to use them! 

 

x

 2 5 10
1 2 5 10
2 4 10 20
3 6 15 30
4 8 20 40
5 10 25 50
6 12 30 60
7 14 35 70
8 16 40 80
9 18 45 90
10 20 50 100 
 

To use a multiplication square, choose a number from the first column and a number from the first row.  Follow the row and column until they meet in the  middle, for example, 4 x 5 = 20 

 

Try blanking out some of the numbers.  Does your child know what numbers are missing? 

 

Look for patterns! 

 

How many calculations have the same answer? 

 

Try these websites!

 

BBC Mega-maths at  http://www.bbc.co.uk/schoolradio/maths/megamaths.shtml

An excellent site. You can play the games and read the top tips.

 

Times table rhyme at www.times-tables.com

This site uses different maths words to test the times tables. These are words we use in school too.

 

Mathmagician at www.oswego.org

Test yourself! This site times how long you take to answer. Can you beat your own time?

 

BBC skillswise at www.bbc.co.uk/skillswise/numbers/wholenumbers/multiplication/timestables/index.shtml

Factsheets, quizzes, games and worksheets!

 

Time out at www.activityvillage.co.uk/times_tables_games.htm

A variety of games to make and play.