10 Nov 2009, 2:38 pm
A while back i asked for advice opn how best to help my 10 year old with his maths. He has no interest and is really behind the rest of his class. It was suggested by his autism teacher (whom he only has for 1 full day once a week, and not at his mainstream school) and by a very clever wrongplanet member, to give my son a calculator. I have started doing this. J my son objected to start with because "its against the rules" noone else at school uses one. I thought his mainstream teachers would object as well, but I copied a version of a maths exercise that the teachers want my son to do in class. I had my son do a much smaller version at home without the calculator, it took him 14mins and 47 secs to complete, then I had him use the calculator for the first time, he cut 5 mins off. His teachers were impressed and said they would allow him to use the calculator at school. I did the same exercise again the next day, again he complained that using a calculator was against the rules. I explained my reasons to him, and he is now down to 5mins and 36 secs on the maths exercise after on two days. He is also seeing the patterns in the times tables. It was also so simple, why didn't we think of it sooner.
I have written done how I think it works for anyone else who wants to teach their kids the times tables. If your interested read on if not thanks guys for all the help. 
Here goes....
our kids are multi sensory learners so it makes sense to utilise as many senses as possible.
My son J is 10 and couldn't learn the times tables and had no interest in learning, it was all to much. We had tried every thing and he would just shut down.
Now I make a chart/grid 6 squares across, 6 squares down. In the first box I put in the x symbol (multiply symbol) then I put in the numbers 2,3,4,5,6 across the top and then again down the left side. You then have to fill in the squares with the corresponding answers for the sums. Multiply the side numbers by the top numbers, visa versa. My son was having probs understanding that 2x3=6 and 3x2= 6 so probs reversing aswell as remembering or even seeing that to get the answers for example the 5 x tables you need to count in fives etc.
After being told to give J a calculator (which even I thought was kinda cheating at first) I realised, that when we teach kids to memorise their tables this gives them a mental picture in their heads of what the question should look like. For J simply looking at the sum wasn't enough, it now seams to be sticking because, he has to physically look(visual), push each number or symbol in (touch) and look again for the answer then write his answer in the correct box. so he is phsically going threw the process, not just menatally like most kids. Its making the whole thing more concrete. (sorry my spelling is bad)
J is now saying AHHHH look I can see the patterns. I will stick to just 2-6 for maybe the next 2 weeks, then maybe mix the order up a little for a few weeks before I introduce new numbers.
Hope this helps anyone else who's kids are struggling to learn their times tables. Even if it never sticks, he will have a heads up hopefully on the use of a calcultor.
Again thanks all who replied to my original post asking for help. Special thanks to Tracker. 
10 Nov 2009, 7:56 pm
