Times Tables

With the Year 4 times tables check getting closer, we know lots of you will be busy finding creative ways for your students to practise their times tables. We know that the repetitive nature of revising can be difficult and, let’s face it, boring. By making times tables fun and introducing games we can not only make it enjoyable but we can improve learning; studies have shown that making learning fun can improve memory, engagement and ensure that it appeals to all learning styles (further detailed here). So how can we make times tables more fun?

 

Songs.

There are a slew of times tables songs available online, or you could have your students create their own to the tune of a favourite song.

 

Rhymes.

I’m sure most of you know the rhyme:

 

I ate and ate until I was sick on the floor,

so 8 x 8 is 64.

 

Teaching children different rhymes, or having them come up with their own is a great way to encourage them to remember a specific times table they’ve been struggling with. We have more of this on our Times Tables Tips PowerPoint here.

 

Games

Using some chalk, you could get out of the classroom and quickly create some times tables games outdoors. You could write numbers on the playground and choose a times table, then shout out the answer (the multiple) and have students run to the number (the factor) that when multiplied by your times tables number gives that answer. Or you could flip it and write the answers on the ground, when you call out the factor they have to run to the correct answer.

We also love games that students can pick up easily in class, perhaps when there is 10 minutes left before break or even at wet play. You could make some snap cards for the children to use, with one set having the multiplication question and the other having the answer. If you don’t have the time to create your own, why not try our race games? These printable games use the times tables from 2-12 and allow students to work in groups of 2-4 to race each other and recall the times tables.

 

Happy Times Tables!