Maths News

                               How can I help my child learn the multiplication tables?

Dear Parents and Guardians,

Welcome to Term Two as we work together to help maximise your child's learning.

The best way for students to learn multiplication tables depends a bit on their age, learning style, and how comfortable they are with numbers already — but here are some tried-and-true methods that tend to work really well:

🔁 Repetition, But Make It Fun

• Daily practice for a few minutes can build automaticity.
• Use multiplication songs or rhythmic chants (especially great for younger learners). These can be accessed through Youtube with parental supervision.
• Flashcards (physical or apps like Anki or Quizlet) help build speed and recall.

 Learning through online games

• Try apps or websites like:
• Times Tables Rock Stars Kahoot!
• Prodigy
•  SunSet Maths
• Math Playground
• These make learning feel like play instead of work.

🧠 Patterns and Tricks

• Teach the patterns in the tables (e.g., 5s always end in 0 or 5, 9s have a cool digit-sum trick e.g. 9 x 5 = 45, if you add the digits of the answer it should be equal to 9).
• Use skip counting to reinforce the idea behind multiplication (like 3, 6, 9, 12…).
• Visuals like a multiplication grid can help students see relationships and symmetry.

✍️ Write It Out

• Practise writing each table out — muscle memory helps!
• Use blank tables to fill in.
• Timed drills can be helpful (just don’t stress speed too early on).

🎨 Make It Visual

• Use arrays, counters, or grouping objects (like Legos, coins, etc.) to show what multiplication means.
• Colour-coded charts or drawing groups can help visual learners.

👯‍♂️ Partner Practice

• Quizzing each other in pairs or small groups helps reinforce learning.
• Play games like “Around the World” or “Multiplication War” with flashcards.

 As John Adams said in 1761: 'Practice Makes Perfect!!!!'