How to help your child succeed at school
Teaching Computational Fluency through Times Tables
Often, the ability to remember times tables is seen as a measure of success in Mathematics, however, lots of students have trouble remembering their times tables.
Every student learns differently, so it is important to approach multiplication in a variety of ways. Memory works for some students so learning times tables songs can be useful, but often, when the song is taken away, the ‘lyrics’ can be lost. A similar thing can happen if we engage in rote recitation of the times tables. A better form of knowledge is one where a child knows the answer to each multiplication problem as soon as they see it, much like being able to read a word automatically.
Students need to engage in activities that demonstrate the connections between the multiplication facts in the times tables as well as learn to apply the knowledge in a mathematical context. In saying that, here are some activities to practice times tables that your child may find engaging:
Games such as Hit the Button
Charts
Rhymes
Using known times tables to help solve unknown problems, for example, knowing that we can double our 6 times tables to solve problems involving 12 times tables
Flashcards
Using real-life examples such as calculating AFL scores
Reading picture story books such as Sir Cumference and All the King's Tens by Cindy Neuschwander
Laura Leung
Teaching and Learning, Numeracy and Literacy Leader