Any year 2 teachers ...advice please?

trailingspouse

Just a side note re learning times tables.

Let your son read the table as he recites it. Bit by bit, he'll be able to remember more of it. Think of it more like learning a poem off by heart, rather than doing maths.

Too often, I see children trying to work out the next number in the sequence (and often getting it wrong). The whole point of 'learning tables' is that you 'just know' that 8x8 is 64 (or whatever) and that you don't need to work it out.

If your child had to learn a poem, you wouldn't expect them to work out what comes next - you would learn it line by line, over and over again, looking at the poem if they needed to, until they got it. Do tables the same way.

Mojisola

trailingspouse wrote: »

Just a side note re learning times tables.

Let your son read the table as he recites it. Bit by bit, he'll be able to remember more of it. Think of it more like learning a poem off by heart, rather than doing maths.

Too often, I see children trying to work out the next number in the sequence (and often getting it wrong). The whole point of 'learning tables' is that you 'just know' that 8x8 is 64 (or whatever) and that you don't need to work it out.

If your child had to learn a poem, you wouldn't expect them to work out what comes next - you would learn it line by line, over and over again, looking at the poem if they needed to, until they got it. Do tables the same way.

I agree with this. It's so useful knowing your tables off by heart.

Rote learning went out of fashion in schools for years because the thinking was that children should understand the number bonds and then they would somehow just know their tables but this didn't happen - children still either had to learn the tables by rote or work out each sum individually.

Newly_retired

My granddaughter aged 9 struggles with tables, so her mum and I both assured her that once you know them, you know them for life. So she tested us, and was amazed that we both gave her instant answers.

Let's hope our kids catch on sooner rather than later.

maman

Mojisola wrote: »

I agree with this. It's so useful knowing your tables off by heart.

Rote learning went out of fashion in schools for years because the thinking was that children should understand the number bonds and then they would somehow just know their tables but this didn't happen - children still either had to learn the tables by rote or work out each sum individually.

I agree it's incredibly useful to know tables but that children need to understand them as well as learn them. That's what the change in schools has been IMO. We all know the old joke about tables 'I know the tune but not the words!'.

Mojisola

maman wrote: »

I agree it's incredibly useful to know tables but that children need to understand them as well as learn them. That's what the change in schools has been IMO. We all know the old joke about tables 'I know the tune but not the words!'.

I don't accept that's true.

If someone rote learns the times tables, they can answer immediately if asked "What's Y x Z". They don't have to understand why Y x Z = Q.

Of course, to progress much further with Maths, they do need to understand how numbers work but there are plenty of people out there who can do simple multiplications by rote whenever they need in daily life even if they've forgotten all the reasoning behind it.

susancs

Mojisola wrote: »

I don't accept that's true.

If someone rote learns the times tables, they can answer immediately if asked "What's Y x Z". They don't have to understand why Y x Z = Q.

Of course, to progress much further with Maths, they do need to understand how numbers work but there are plenty of people out there who can do simple multiplications by rote whenever they need in daily life even if they've forgotten all the reasoning behind it.

I agree with you that being able to quickly know the times tables is an important skill (my daughter when learning it used to say you have to know them in the time someone snapped their fingers). Once they are learnt, then in my experience children quickly realise they can also divide using the times tables e.g. 6x7=42, but that if you have 42 it can divided by 7 to give 6 or 6 to give 7. Rote learning can be used alongside practical application to aid understanding such as showing on an abacus (love them) that 6 beads on 7 rows is 42 beads.

Mojisola

susancs wrote: »

Rote learning can be used alongside practical application to aid understanding such as showing on an abacus (love them) that 6 beads on 7 rows is 42 beads.

Of course, but the rote learning isn't dependent on the understanding.

As trailingspouse said - if something is learnt by rote - times tables or a poem - it's learnt by constant repetition until it sticks in the memory.

msgnomey

you do need some understanding of why 8x8=64 to be able to apply your knowledge

lindsaygalaxy

i teach year 1 and 2. I just want to add that most children find one subject easier than the other so please do not worry. Print off a 100 square and ask him to find the numbers, 1 more/ 1 less, 10 more/10 less or better still play snakes and ladders a lot. He will get used to where they are and it will help reinforce his confidence with numbers.

Speak to the teacher and ask if there are any interventions he could be considered for if she thinks he is getting further behind.

maman

Mojisola wrote: »

I agree with this. It's so useful knowing your tables off by heart.

Rote learning went out of fashion in schools for years because the thinking was that children should understand the number bonds and then they would somehow just know their tables but this didn't happen - children still either had to learn the tables by rote or work out each sum individually.

What I was saying was that IMO rote learning continued in many schools BUT the change was that understanding was taught alongside whereas in years gone by rote learning was considered enough. To me that's the ideal: understanding and instant recall.