[SENco-forum] Times Tables

Strictly speaking there are expectations about the 'learning' of times

Maths done visually and kinaesthetically is a really strong tool for
learning.

Thinking Goes to School by Harry Wachs outlines how he worked with children
in this way.  he took wave 3 children.  and worked with them through the
right brain.  Many of them became successful professionals way in excess of
what may have been predicted from their previous school failure.

Our own son nearly ended up a maths wreck at age 6 in the hands of a teacher
who felt she was doing her best, the NNS and some verbal maths teaching.  He
is a hugely able visuo-spatial thinker.  But school didn't teach that way.
Thank goodness for Lego.  He "failed" in school at repeated addition,  he
"failed" at number bonds etc etc.  all done with pencil and paper at
school.  He had been a natural mathematician before he was 5 years old...
all based on play and manipulation of objects/toys.  He was, for example, a
complete whizz at times tables - untaught by school.  As parents with
anxiety induced by school failure and our son's consequent unhappiness we
were keenly asking tables questions to support school work.  He knew every
one until one day I asked him a question and his response was, "There isn't
a Lego brick for that."  He is now a computer scientist...

So who is failing?  The kids or the teaching methods?

Philippa

On Nov 11, 2007 7:47 PM, Tim Rupp <tgrupp at ntlworld.com> wrote:

> Strictly speaking there are expectations about the 'learning' of times
> tables that are couched in the Primary Numeracy Strategy.
>
> In there it suggests that children should have knowledge of the 2,5 & 10
> times tables by the end of KS1. Their knowledge should extend to the 3 & 4
> times tables by the end of Year 3 with the 8 & 9 times tables joining in
> during Year 4. The 6 & 7 times tables should then be added so that by the
> end of Year 5 they have the 1 to 10 times tables under their belt and can
> turn their attention to 11 and 12 in Year 6 if it is deemed necessary.
>
> This, of course, is only a guideline and different children will be able
> to
> access these tables at different ages depending on a whole range of other
> contributory factors including their home life. I would say that this bit
> by
> bit approach is sensible as I think that trying to teach the whole list of
> times tables can be extremely daunting, particularly for children with
> difficulties.
>
> I also believe that just knowing the tables is only half the battle, we
> have
> to give children the practise of using the tables constructively to solve
> problems and limiting the range of tables that you are working with with a
> particular age group makes this easier for the children.
>
> As far as when the concept of multiplication is taught I would suggest
> that
> if they haven't been taught grouping by Year 1 then it is already too
> late.
> Don't forget that the 1 times table is still a times table and anything
> that
> you can do with the 1 times table can also be done with the 8 times table
> or
> the 954 times table.
>
> This is a serious point, the link between addition and multiplication and
> counting and multiplication should be taught earlier than the actual
> knowledge of the numbers in any multplication table (which is, in effect,
> an
> artificial mnemonic for number facts that can be calculated).
>
> Tim Rupp.
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: <SEN at tringham.net>
> To: "Becta Senco" <senco-forum at lists.becta.org.uk>
> Sent: Thursday, November 08, 2007 6:37 PM
> Subject: RE: [SENco-forum] Times Tables
>
>
> > What age?  Whatever age they are entirely dependant on their memory
> > capabilities.
> >
> > At school age 9 my bright friends had all 1-12 down pat.  I could not do
> > 7/8/9.  I only mastered the 9x when I was about 30 when a friend showed
> me
> > how to use my fingers.  I still avoid 7x8 & for 9x7  I use strategies
> like
> > fingers or 1x7=70-7=63  and I have a 135 IQ.
> >
> > Sharon
> >
> >
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> > 20:05
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> >
>
>
>