Times tables are an essential element of being a confident Mathematician! As a school, we use the program 'Times Table Rock Stars' to support our learners with memorising their multiplication and related division facts. Children can sign in to the program online or through a free app that can be downloaded to a smart device. Each child has been given their own Username and Password. Please contact your child's class teacher if you require additional support. The link for Times Table Rock Stars is below.
The Multiplication Tables Check has been designed to help ensure that children in primary school know their times tables up to 12 off by heart. As well as being critical for everyday life, knowledge of multiplication tables helps children to solve problems quickly and flexibly, and allows them to tackle more complex Mathematics later on in school.
The Multiplication Tables Check, will be administered as an online, on-screen assessment in year 4. Each assessment will consist of 25 questions worth one mark each. The questions will only be multiplication and they will go up to 12×12. This means that related division facts, whilst a key part of children’s Mathematical learning, will not be tested as part of the check. Pupils will have 6 seconds to enter a response to the question. The 6 seconds will start as soon as the question appears on screen. Pupils will then input their response on screen, then press enter to proceed, or wait until the time has expired. Once the question is answered, there will be a 3 second pause before the next question appears.
In school, children are tested on their times tables weekly. Once they have been tested on their set table in order and passed, they will then be tested on the same times tables in a mixed order. When both these have been passed, children will move onto the next set of times tables. It is important that the children know their times tables out of order as they are presented with a mix of questions in the Multiplication Tables Check.
When children are tested on their times tables in class, they will be given 6 seconds to respond to the questions, in order to prepare them for their assessment. The requirement to answer at speed is key to assessing fluent recall of multiplication tables, whilst limiting pupils’ ability to work out answers to the questions. Children will be rewarded for learning their times tables.
What you can do to help support your child with their times tables:
Each child has a login for Times Tables Rockstars. Please encourage your child to use this site as it will allow them to practice answering their times tables on screen.
Maths Megastars!
Each week children, from Y2 to Y6, are tested on their multiplication and division facts; both in and out of sequence. Once the children have achieved their current set of multiplication or division facts they are rewarded and moved on to the next set.
Owston Park Primary Academy
