Learning time table by the age of 11

[leclerc]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-35216318

I remember in the 1980's my mother going through the times tables from 2 to 12 before I went to secondary school. My primary school did those things and recorded down how you got on and NOW they are going back to that?

Why have they stopped doing this? Have we created a society of idiots? I learnt by rote and I always struggled with 11 x 12(yes I know it is 132 but I confused 11 x 11 as well!).

I just wonder what else from our childhood that was common sense will come back in education.

Am assuming that the kids cannot use phone/calculator and/or computer to do the tables.....

[Kati]

Re: Learning time table by the age of 11

Quite a lot of youngsters before I took my lads out of school couldn't tell the time on an analogue clock

Spelling practice was almost non-existent too ... so long as it LOOKED like what it was meant to (think pensil instead of pencil) the teachers were ok with it :noidea:

[seduraed]

Re: Learning time table by the age of 11

I remeber learning times tables by rote and with the help of flash cards. These were quite clever and as well as doing multiplication division could be done. Spelling you just have to teach and tell children it has to learnt. Ough is te classic example of spelling not following pronunciation or vice versa.

[enaid]

Re: Learning time table by the age of 11

I think times table went when we went metric, these are what i remember and all to do with £sd

[PAWS]

Re: Learning time table by the age of 11

Remember my tables! I’m delighted if I remember where I live!
I did learn my tables and spelling but thanks to calculators and auto correct on word I have become a bit of a numbskull. However I do think that if there is a machine that can do it for you then you are better off spending the time learning about history, geography and how to string a sentence together without using ‘erm’ and ‘like’.
I do feel a bit sorry for young people to be honest. They have to have at least A levels (or whatever they are called now) to get a job sweeping up. In fact I once saw a job ad for a position working at the counter in a tool hire shop. They wanted someone of Graduate calibre. Yep, graduate calibre to tell customers ‘if it spins around don’t stick your finger in it and get it back in one piece or we keep your money.

[Openlaw15]

Re: Learning time table by the age of 11

Remember my tables! I’m delighted if I remember where I live!
I did learn my tables and spelling but thanks to calculators and auto correct on word I have become a bit of a numbskull. However I do think that if there is a machine that can do it for you then you are better off spending the time learning about history, geography and how to string a sentence together without using ‘erm’ and ‘like’.
I do feel a bit sorry for young people to be honest. They have to have at least A levels (or whatever they are called now) to get a job sweeping up. In fact I once saw a job ad for a position working at the counter in a tool hire shop. They wanted someone of Graduate calibre. Yep, graduate calibre to tell customers ‘if it spins around don’t stick your finger in it and get it back in one piece or we keep your money.

Performing maths in one's head are cognitive skills but using calculators are typing skills. Cognitive (thinking) skills can be transferred...any one can type numbers on a calculator. Master times tables is easy.

[Kati]

Re: Learning time table by the age of 11

Performing maths in one's head are cognitive skills but using calculators are typing skills. Cognitive (thinking) skills can be transferred...any one can type numbers on a calculator. Master times tables is easy.

not for everyone :sad: I home-school my teenage children, and they weren't taught times tables at school ... learning from scratch at a later age can be extremely difficult. The times table 'magic square' can be a godsend

[Openlaw15]

Re: Learning time table by the age of 11

not for everyone :sad: I home-school my teenage children, and they weren't taught times tables at school ... learning from scratch at a later age can be extremely difficult. The times table 'magic square' can be a godsend

Katy but this relies on remembering visual information which is not going to be permanent. Unless they have disability like dyscalcula they'll be able to do it. It's better to teach them as though it were a song, if they let you ha ha. You teach them 2x, 3x - up to 12x one after the other. Sing: 2 twos are 4, 3 twos are 6, 4 twos are 8..and so on up to 2 twelves. Then do the same with 3x, up to 12 times. Over the course of time, depending on how fast they learn they'll know their tables easily.

[Kati]

Re: Learning time table by the age of 11

Katy but this relies on remembering visual information which is not going to be permanent. Unless they have disability like dyscalcula they'll be able to do it. It's better to teach them as though it were a song, if they let you ha ha. You teach them 2x, 3x - up to 12x one after the other. Sing: 2 twos are 4, 3 twos are 6, 4 twos are 8..and so on up to 2 twelves. Then do the same with 3x, up to 12 times. Over the course of time, depending on how fast they learn they'll know their tables easily.

Oh believe me ... my toddler is going to be singing her times tables in her sleep by the time I've finished with her :lol: I'm hoping to home-ed her from the start tho', so no nasty schools to deal with x

[wales01man]

Re: Learning time table by the age of 11

About time we went back to basics table a start no matter where you go in life maths is the most important lesson to learn

[Fred]

Re: Learning time table by the age of 11

Am sorry to "but in".................but for me knowing how to work it out in the first place is far more important than remembering tables, slower perhaps but, then you can do your 13x onwards.

[Nibbler]

Re: Learning time table by the age of 11

wrong thread

[PAWS]

Re: Learning time table by the age of 11

Absolutely agree that maths is essential especially when it comes to cognitive / reasoning development and indeed assessment. It also comes into play in a lot more careers than one would think as well as in sport, DIY etc. I just do not think learning ones tables ‘off by heart’ is as essential as it used to be when one can easily run up the calculation on a calculator. Put it this way; I can write a letter but usually email. I can make bread but use a bread maker. If a machine can do it quicker and more accurately I’m all for it but I do absolutely agree that mathematics is vital.

[Amethyst]

Re: Learning time table by the age of 11

I'd like to put times tables in Room 101 .... please

[leclerc]

Re: Learning time table by the age of 11

Oh believe me ... my toddler is going to be singing her times tables in her sleep by the time I've finished with her :lol: I'm hoping to home-ed her from the start tho', so no nasty schools to deal with x

You so sound like my mother in the 80's(sorry Kati )

- - - Updated - - -

I just hope we do not get times tables in another table for each school