Times Tables

Learning the times tables is one of the most beneficial skills in maths. A secure knowledge of the times tables is essential in virtually every calculation that they will come up against, especially for the 11 plus.

Schools don't seem to place as much emphasis on learning these as they did in the past (when I was at school). I learnt them off by heart and without realising it I use them all the time. Your child needs to know all the times table facts up to 10 x 10 and be able to recall them instantly. (up to 12 x 12 used to be important when we had pounds, shillings and pence)

I get my students to memorise them by saying out loud - "1 2's are 2, 2 2's are 4, 3 2's are 6" etc. I know it's a chore but if repeated often enough it sticks and then when they see a calculation - say 8 x 7 - the answer just pops out - "8 7's are 56".

For the 11 Plus test, this skill gives your child more time to spend on answering the question and not wasting time trying to work out the individual parts of a simple calculation.

I use a printed grid and tick off the facts that they answer quickly.

You soon begin to fill the grid quickly and it demonstrates that with every table they learn, there is less to learn for the next one because if they know all their 2's, 3's, 5s and 10's then they also know the corresponding facts for the rest of the table. (8 x 3 is the same as 3 x 8).

You may find this Multiplication Chart useful.

Click on the grid for printable version

Try and make a game of it - challenge them and have them challenge you.

Use humour - "I ate and I ate 'till I was sick on the floor" - "Eight eights are sixty four"

Involve them in everyday calculations that you do. At the shops - have them work out how much it will cost to buy different amounts of items - Is it cheaper to buy a 2 small boxes of cornflakes or 1 large one? How much will 6 apples cost? How much change should I get?

Try to make it relevant - How many sweets can they buy with their pocket money?

Multiplication Tips and Tricks