One of the most common questions I get as a maths tutor is about how students can learn their times tables.  So I'm going to share the most effective strategies and resources I have given to my students.

My top strategy: Little and Often!

You will be more successful if you practise 3 times a day for about 5 minutes rather than spending a whole hour once a week. It is best if you plan when those times will be and if possible do it at the same times every day to build up a routine.  You only need to find 5 minutes, preferably on your own in a quiet place - the toilet if necessary!  Tea breaks, lunch breaks, advert breaks, in the shower, wherever and whenever works best for you.

Identify which facts you need to learn

The 0x to the 10x tables inclusively contain 121 different facts e.g. 4 x 3 = 12.  However you probably already know quite a few of these facts and so your first task is to identify what you need to learn.  Let's do this together by a process of elimination.

1.  Do you know that it doesn't matter which way round you multiply numbers e.g. 6 x 8 = 8 x 6?  This elimates a whooping 55 facts straight away, leaving only 66 left.

2.  Do you know the rule for the 0x table?  If you multiply anything by 0 the answer is always 0. This eliminates a further11 facts so we are now down to 55.

3.  Do you know the rule for the 1x table?  If you multiply any number by 1 the answer is the number you started with.  Another 10 eliminated, only 45 left.

4.  How about the rule for the 10x table?  If you multiply any whole number by 10, you just need to add on a 0.  Another 9 gone, only 36 to go.

Already we have cut the job down by about 70%.  Now you may already know your 2x table and be able to reduce this further to 28 facts and if you know your 5x table as well, that brings it down to 21.  Maybe you know some others too.  See how quickly you can make this task become more manageable.

What to do in your 5 minute slots

So you've prepared by planning when you will do your 5 minute slots and by identifying which of the times tables facts you need to learn.  But how will you use your 5 minutes to effectively learn them?

1.  Choose 3 facts at random i.e. not in sequence.

2. While you copy out the first fact three times, say it out loud.

3. Now cover it up and try to say the fact without looking, check and if you have made a mistake then repeat step 2.

4. Now do the same with each of the other facts.

5. Finally try to say all 3 facts correctly without looking.  Again if you make any mistakes go back to step 2.  As you learn more and more facts, you will need to include all of them during step 5 as revision.

This is the basic process.  I strongly suggest that you create some small cards with the question part of the fact on one side and the answer on the other side.  If you get a treasury tag and punch holes in one corner you can string them together.  Keep these in your pocket, handbag, wherever is most convenient.  You might also create larger versions to put up around the house, on the back of the toilet door for instance so that you are prompted to test yourself often throughout the day.  Get them laminated if you want to have them up in your shower.

Get someone else to test you when you feel that you have learnt these 3 facts and if you feel that you have securely learnt them then move on to another 3 and so on.  You will be surprised at how quickly you will have mastered them all.  If you were to learn only 3 facts a week and needed to learn all 36 you would have it done in 3 months and I'm sure when you get started that you will be moving at a much faster rate than 3 facts a week.

This will work for most people who do not have any kind of special learning need but probably would not be appropriate for some dyslexic learners but it's always worth a go.

Want to improve other aspects of your maths? Live in the Chippenham area? Visit my website and claim your free initial assessment and book your FREE first lesson now.

www.mathspersonaltutor.talktalk.net