Maths Fluency (including Times Tables)

Expectation

Your child's class teacher will set weekly maths fluency homework via Google Classroom, the aim of which is to consolidate understanding and build on skills covered during the previous week's maths lessons. This may take the form of a game, a puzzle or a series of calculations. Where the task requires a specific approach or method, short videos will be posted to support the task.

In addition, teachers will ask pupils to learn the times tables which fall within your child's age related expectation. It is crucial that all children learn and practice the time tables set every week if they are to reach their full potential. Children are tested weekly on the times tables set for that week and all previous weeks. Below are tips which explain how you can support your child in this area.

Tips for learning times tables

Each child will be at a different place in their journey towards mastering their times tables but the strategies and games that can be used to support their understanding will be very similar.

Counting and developing recall facts for multiplication tables is an essential ‘little and often’ part of homework.  At primary age, it is this kind of homework that has the potential to make the most difference. 

As children learn in different ways, it is a matter of trying different approaches until you find ones that work when learning times tables. 

Times tables raps and music CDs can be effective and one of the most popular is Learn Your Times Tables, which features singing mice and robots!

Other pupils find computer games really help cement the facts in their minds.  The trouble with many of these is that you need to have at least a basic knowledge of tables in the first place so they are not always the best starting place.

There are a number of board games-based approaches now on the market, too. One of the cleverest is Hoo Ha!  It’s essentially a matching pairs memory game, where each card is printed with a calculation and an answer and the children have to find the matching one.

Whichever method you find effective, real fluency demands practice over weeks and months as the knowledge can evaporate unless deeply embedded.

The guide below gives more specific advice about the expectations for times tables knowledge for each year group along with more suggestions about activities you can use at home.