Learning times tables is one of the most important maths skills children need to learn before they start secondary school. Luckily, there are plenty of easy ways to teach children how to master these skills.
First of all, it’s important to remember that teaching times tables is an ongoing process that should be approached with patience and dedication. It is a skill that takes time to develop and requires the attention of both child and parent alike.
Easy Ways to Learn Times Tables
You can also help children build their confidence and understanding of their times tables by taking them through the learning process in a fun and interactive way. There are a number of games that children can play that will help them to understand the basics of these crucial numbers, and there are even some cool tricks that can be used to make memorising them seem less daunting.
Firstly, it’s important to encourage children to practice their multiplication facts as often as possible. This will help them to be able to answer questions on the spot and ensure that they are confident with all of their tables.
Another way to help children master their times tables is by using a multiplication chart. This will allow them to memorise the table in a visual form that can be hung up on the wall where they will see it most often.
There are a number of charts that can be purchased online for less than £10 which you can print out and hang on the wall in your home. These are a great way to introduce your kids to the different numbers and help them to memorise them quickly.
Easiest Way to Learn Times Tables
For younger children, the most effective way to learn their tables is by completing memory tasks. These can be as simple as reciting the answers to some questions that they’ve been asked, or as complicated as having them multiply numbers by other numbers.
It is also a good idea to give your children a number of opportunities to use the tables on a regular basis, so they become automatic by the time they go to secondary school. Drilling is a great way to do this and it should be incorporated into every lesson or session.
Once they’ve gained a firm grasp on the tables, you can then introduce some stepping-stone facts. These will help to embed the multiplication table in their memory and allow them to instantly answer questions on the spot.
This can be done through a series of short drill sessions where the child is taught a new fact in turn. It is a great way to make the tables more automatic and also to ensure that they aren’t coming over-reliant on doubling and dividing by 10.
Finally, it’s important for children to be able to recognise the patterns that are present within the different times tables. This can be achieved by starting with the twos and working up from there.
Once they have mastered the twos, it’s usually a good idea to work through the fives and then the tens. This will help to establish a structure and pattern that they can then transfer across to the other tables.