Maths for Children

Prestwich_Blue said:
If you can afford some private tuition then this lot http://www.kumon.co.uk/ have a good reputation.

With times tables though it's really just about repetition. That's the way I learned them and no doubt a few others of a certain age on here. I know 7x9 is 63 and 9x12 is 108 without thinking. I don't need to know why; I just need to know it is.

Yet when my daughter (who has an A in A-Level Maths) did her times tables, they were taught to memorise the result only. So for the 2 times table it was 2, 4, 6, 8, etc. So if she needed to work out 2x6 she had to count 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12. and that was at a very good primary school. To me that's completely stupid.

Learning things parrot-fashion may be completely at odds with modern learning methods, where it's seemingly more important for kids to "express" themselves than actually learn facts, but it certainly works for times tables.
Click to expand...

That's the way I was taught as a kid but I never actually did it that way. I've always naturally done it on the fly as a multiple of 1,2,10 or 5 (a multiple of 10 halved) then adding or subtracting those multiples. So 7*9 to me naturally in my head for some strange reason is 70-7 = 63.

Or 8*11 is 80+8 = 88

Or 18*23 = (180*2)+18+36 = 414

0r 47*36 = (470*3)+(235)+47 = 1692

Like I said its nothing I've ever been taught it just seems the easiest way to me and I've been doing it that way since I was a kid. No teacher ever figured out in school that I hadn't learnt my times tables as I could work out the answer as fast as someone that memorised them.
 
Plenty of teachers I know do private tuition to top up their income, might be worth asking at school.

(In before Finbarr Saunders)
 
Challenger1978 said:
Prestwich_Blue said:
If you can afford some private tuition then this lot http://www.kumon.co.uk/ have a good reputation.

With times tables though it's really just about repetition. That's the way I learned them and no doubt a few others of a certain age on here. I know 7x9 is 63 and 9x12 is 108 without thinking. I don't need to know why; I just need to know it is.

Yet when my daughter (who has an A in A-Level Maths) did her times tables, they were taught to memorise the result only. So for the 2 times table it was 2, 4, 6, 8, etc. So if she needed to work out 2x6 she had to count 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12. and that was at a very good primary school. To me that's completely stupid.

Learning things parrot-fashion may be completely at odds with modern learning methods, where it's seemingly more important for kids to "express" themselves than actually learn facts, but it certainly works for times tables.
Click to expand...

That's the way I was taught as a kid but I never actually did it that way. I've always naturally done it on the fly as a multiple of 1,2,10 or 5 (a multiple of 10 halved) then adding or subtracting those multiples. So 7*9 to me naturally in my head for some strange reason is 70-7 = 63.

Or 8*11 is 80+8 = 88

Or 18*23 = (180*2)+18+36 = 414

0r 47*36 = (470*3)+(235)+47 = 1692

Like I said its nothing I've ever been taught it just seems the easiest way to me and I've been doing it that way since I was a kid. No teacher ever figured out in school that I hadn't learnt my times tables as I could work out the answer as fast as someone that memorised them.
Click to expand...

Indeed.
 
mansour's tow ropes said:
tbh at the age of 4 and a half everyone should know 2,4,6,8,10
Click to expand...

To be honest mate, it's my 1st child and I don't have many children if any in my family, I had only been doing simple Maths, +, -, obviously my fault and the Ex's if she has not picked it up, but some great tips, going to google and get some games and stuff.
 
kinkladze10 said:
mansour's tow ropes said:
tbh at the age of 4 and a half everyone should know 2,4,6,8,10
Click to expand...

To be honest mate, it's my 1st child and I don't have many children if any in my family, I had only been doing simple Maths, +, -, obviously my fault and the Ex's if she has not picked it up, but some great tips, going to google and get some games and stuff.
Click to expand...

If you can get them, cuisenaire rods are truly marvellous.
 
I wouldn't worry about private tuition at this stage, but you should be aware that if your child falls behind in maths then that lag can easily last their whole school career, and if kids become disengaged with it they are seriously affected their options.

What are they struggling with? If its the two times table, try something visual with items that come in pairs. For example shoes (depending on how many pairs you have around) line them all up, splitting them by colour to readily show the difference. If she starts 1-2-3.., then point out that 1&2 are the same and encourage her to go up in even numbers. When she reaches the end, ask her to carry on.

Websites/games are getting very good but parental encouragement should never be underestimated.
 
Table squares are pretty good.

Squared paper, row of 10 random numbers across the top (from 1 - 10) and same down the right hand side. Get her to multiply along each row or column (whichever she is more comfortable with) and when she completes it loads of praise etc. You can then move on to timing her to complete them and again praise and stuff for beating personal bests.

Sounds boring, possibly even wrong but honestly, very simple and very effective.

Otherwise there is plenty of stuff on the net or even private tuition as has been mooted already.
 
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