Looking to teach times tables without increasing screen time? Look no further. Our worksheets are essentially Times Tables Rock Stars in paper form. The pedagogy and sequencing behind them has been carefully thought out by our team of maths teachers...but what you really want to know is: do they work? Let's ask Dani Morgan, a Year Four teacher at Overton C of E Primary School. Take it away Dani...
USING TIMES TABLES ROCK STARS IN THE CLASSROOM
We set online TTRS homework for at least 3 times a week and recommend which sessions they do based on where we are in the academic year.
We aim to have iPads in the classroom at least three times a week for early morning work. Once each child’s heatmap is complete they will play Studio or Soundcheck. If they haven’t yet completed their heatmap, we ask them to add in a couple of garage games also.
At the end of each term we print off their heatmaps to send home, which we found had an impact on home use uptake. We use the heatmaps and data to recognise when a child needs extra support. Once these pupils are identified, we provide them with additional Garage sessions and LSA led interventions. It tends to be the children that do not practise at home that have the biggest gaps.
KEY FACT FILE
TEACHER’S NAME:
Dani Morgan
SCHOOL NAME:
Overton C of E Primary School
LOCATION:
Basingstoke, England
ROCK NAME:
Meredith Steele
Before we move on, feel free to read more about our wonderful, magical worksheets:
SO ONTO THE WORKSHEETS...
“Our classes love to see the worksheets, they are eager to get going and you hear an audible, ‘yesss’, when we say we are doing TT Rock Stars! All children know they are only in competition with themselves, not others and they enjoy challenging themselves.
They want to complete them on their own accord! Each day they check how near they are to the next check and will ask when we are next doing them if we have missed a day due to scheduling.”
AND THE WORKSHEET BEST BITS...
“From a teacher’s point of view, they’re excellent; they provide daily access to tables in a way the children find fun – they even get excited!
I had a child who had no fluency in tables, not even the 10s at the beginning of the year who now will score 19 or above on the Soundchecks.
The variation of question types is useful, as it increases their full understanding, not just rote learning. Those who were weaker when they started the booklet definitely found the Rock Boxes helpful too.”
“The children enjoy the music aspect of the worksheet process very much and I can see that it takes away the pressure for a lot of them. They also enjoy seeing their progress and improvements. The instant feedback
The opportunity for the children to instantly see their progress and make links/ The rock boxes help consolidate/ learn the specific table, then they can use that in their fluency practice.”
