A variation on a perennial favourite!

A variation on a Times Tables Grid.  I found that students who struggled with learning their multiplication facts would often feel overwhelmed by completing an entire times tables grid up to 12 times tables so came up with this option.

1st time play:

All students complete the grid that you set for them depending on their age and/or known fluency and then teacher assesses if students need to move up or down a stage.

The game is based on 4 stages of difficulty and encourages students to compete against themselves to gain a better time rather than competing against other students.

Ruling up the Game

I find this to be an important step rather than giving out a game board as it increases students understanding of measuring length, arrays and using rulers. It also allows flexibility as students move through the stages.  Allow extra time the first few times, but after that, students can rule it up in under a minute. The initial investment of time is well worth it.

Teacher then write up the following numbers in any order on the whiteboard and students fill out their grid as shown above:

• Stage 1: 2, 3, 4, 5, 10

• Stage 2: 9, 11

• Stage 3:  6, 7

• Stage 4: 8, 12

I tend to switch around the numbers in each stage so that students don’t get used to one particular order.  I also write these numbers across the board and then down the board using a different coloured whiteboard marker for each Stage to avoid confusion.

Teacher starts the timer and students fill in the grid. Students then fill in the grid as quickly as they can.  Students call out ‘time’ when they have completed the grid.  Teacher then says the time aloud on the timer.  At 3 minutes, teacher says “3 minutes plus” when the timer hits 3 minutes and students stop writing.

Correcting and giving feedback

Go around the room asking students to read out the answers, one row at a time.  Students can pass if they have not done the row. After students have corrected their grids, check the times.  Students have reported that they get a great feeling when they move up a level and realise that they are working to get their best score, not be pitted against another student.

Students can go up a stage if they complete the grid quicker than the following times:

Stage 1 must be completed in under 1 minutes 30 secsStage 2 must be completed in under 2 minutesStage 3 must be completed in under 2 minutes 30 secondsStage 4 should be completed in under 3 minutes.

The fastest student I ever had, completed Stage 4 in 1 minute 47 seconds.

Give this a go with your students.  The ones who find learning times tables difficult have had great success and also the all important feelings of success with this method.