1. The Importance of Times Tables and Associated Division Facts
Numeracy Evening
The Importance of Times Tables and Associated Division Facts
Tuesday 12th November, 2013
A. Rouse

2. Times Tables Why are they so important?
OFSTED:-
Primary Schools which fail to teach times tables by heart are condemning children to a lifetime of struggling with numbers.

3. Why are they so important?
If children ‘know’ their times tables, they have the foundation for learning many other aspects of maths including
* Division * Algebra
* Long multiplication * Fractions
* Decimals * Percentages
* Ratio * Proportion

4. Why are they so important?
They also provide a sound foundation for subjects like biology, physics and chemistry as well as other subjects that use data.
Future life skills also need quick mental recall for:
Shopping – multi-buys, savings etc
Cooking – doubling or halving amounts

5. How Can We Teach and Learn Tables?
As with all learning, strategies and styles will vary between children.
We use games, patterns, chanting, computer programmes, rhymes and songs, posters, quizzes.
You can also use websites, apps …

6. Make It Practical and Use Images
My cubes are in piles of 4. I have 5 piles of 4 cubes. How many cubes are there altogether? = 5 x 4
x x x x
x x x x x x x x x
x x x x x 4 x x x x x 4 x 5
x x x x x x x x x

7. Chanting – Remembering the Order
Chant the table in order to commit it to memory
1 x 6 is 6, 2 x 6 is 12 etc
Do a bit at a time – commit the first few to memory – then add two more facts – then more until children can confidently chant the complete table.

8. Chanting
Once children can confidently and quickly chant the whole table in order, mix up the order…
If 4 x 6 is 24, what goes next?
If 7 x 6 is 42, what goes next?
Then quick fire the table in a random order and practise, practise, practise to memorise.

9. Look for patterns in each table
All multiples of 2 are even numbers
This is also true for 4x, 6x, 8x, 10x, 12x
Multiples of 10 always end in zero
Multiples of 5 always end in zero or five
The digits of the 9x table total 9

10. Look for patterns in each table
Struggling with 4x? Just double the 2x
8x? Use 2x then double and double again
Reverse the calculation to make it easier
5 x 7 becomes 7 x 5
6 x 9 becomes 9 x 6
In this way we can reduce the number of tables that we have to memorise.

11. Only Learn 45 Tables Facts!
2 x 2 = 4
3 x 2 = x 3 = 9
4 x 2 = x 3 = x 4 = 16
5 x 2 = x 3 = x 4 = x 5 = 25
6 x 2 = x 3 = x 4 = x 5 = x 6 = 36
7 x 2 = x 3 = x 4 = x 5 = x 6 = x 7 = 49
8 x 2 = x 3 = x 4 = x 5 = x 6 = x 7 = x 8 = 64
9 x 2 = x 3 = x 4 = x 5 = x 6 = x 7 = x 8 = x 9 = 81
10 x 2 = x 3 = x 4 = x 5 = x 6 = x 7 = x 8 = x 9 = 90
10 x 10 = 100
From here we can devise 11x by combining 10x and 1 x
we can devise 12x by combining 10 x and 2 x
We can therefore calculate 15x, 20x, 40x, 65x etc

12. What else can we calculate?
If we know the 2x table, we also know…
20x table
200x table
0.2x table
0.02x table
… by following the patterns

13. Grid Method for Multiplying
47 x 8 = x
= 376
37 x 46 = x
= 1480
= 222
1702

14. X and ÷ go hand in hand!
Once children know the tables, they also know the division facts
Division is the same asking how many groups make a total
24 ÷ 6 we calculate using the inverse, asking how many 6s make 24? _?_ x 6 = 24
81 ÷ 9 – how many 9s make 81? _?_ x 9 = 81

15. ‘Chunking’ Method for Division
84 ÷ 7
First we partition the 84 into a convenient multiple of 7 + the rest 84
= 12

16. Chunking with Remainders
93 ÷ 7
First we partition the 93 into a convenient multiple of 7 + the rest 93
r 2 = 13 r 2

17. See the Link 40 ÷ 8 = 5 x x x x x x x x 5 x 8 = 40 x x x x x x x x

18. What else do we know? Fractions of numbers are the same as ÷
¼ of 20 is the same as 20 ÷ 4
¾ of 100 – find ¼ then x by 3
Knowledge of fractions makes percentages and decimals easier to handle

19. How can you help at home?
Help with chanting, singing etc to memorise the numbers in order.
Play games to support the learning of each times table in turn. (see examples)
Use computer programmes or apps (see list of examples)
Ensure children are really secure and begin to use times tables to learn division facts.