Former teacher and Times Tables Rock Stars ambassador, Jamie Batchelor, spills the beans on his three golden strategies for turning his year 4 class into Times Tables Rock Stars. Get ready for some insider tips that’ll have your students rocking those multiplication tables like never before!
TIP 1: SET UP COMPETITIONS
Jamie’s first tip is all about setting up friendly competitions to add a competitive edge while maintaining a teamwork element.
Live Arenas: Wrap up your TTRS class session with a bang by introducing live arenas. Students can face off against each other, and yes, you can join in too! It’s a fun and motivating way to end the day, ensuring everyone participates. The interactive Spectate mode adds an interactive factor, displaying names and points on the board with music playing.
Weekly Class Battles of the Bands: Begin the week with battles between classes. The students can check the leaderboards at home to see who’s on top. After the battle, reward the top scorers with MVP certificates. The inclusivity of TTRS ensures every student can contribute, no matter their level.
"I have a one-form entry school and I split my class up so we can still enjoy battles! To do this, use the Custom Group option!"
TIP 2: USE THE DATA ON OFFER!
Unlock the power of TTRS data to keep tabs on your students’ progress. Jamie highly recommends the Stats Bolt-On.
Use the Stats Bolt-On to track usage effectively. Celebrate success and identify those needing a push by checking ‘Effort’ stats based on Correct Answers and Days Played. This is great for celebrating wins and encouraging engagement.
Bonus Tip from Jamie: Engage children who are not logging on at home by communicating with parents/carers, highlighting the educational value of TT Rock Stars.
Bonus Tip from Jamie: Engage children who are not logging on at home by communicating with parents/carers, highlighting the educational value of TT Rock Stars.
"It’s so so good - so helpful!"
Heatmaps: Located in the ‘Fluency’ section, heatmaps can serve as a powerful tool to illustrate progress for students, teachers, and parents/carers. Jamie prints individual student heatmaps, enabling them to identify strong and weak areas in times tables. Current individual heatmaps are included with basic subscriptions, while the time slider and historic heatmaps can be accessed with the Stats Bolt-On.
According to Jamie, ‘Children love watching their progress change over time.’
Soundcheck: Jamie uses the single player game mode called Soundcheck. It’s a helpful way to check your students’ multiplication table competence before the MTC in June. Jamie uses Soundcheck results to assess their progress and set individual targets. While their collective goal is to consistently achieve 25, he understands and supports each child’s unique pace. For those excelling, the focus is on precision, minimising typos and misclicks. For those progressing, reaching 22 regularly is celebrated, acknowledging their journey toward the target of 25.
❓ Question from attendee: We have about 15 children out of 88 scoring between 9-12. What are the best interventions to help raise their scores?
🅰 For these students, Jamie suggests putting Soundcheck on hold and emphasising Garage mode. This mode offers personalised facts in manageable chunks, boosting confidence as students see their heatmaps change. They can return to Soundcheck with increased assurance.
TIP 3: REWARDING EFFORT AND PROGRESS
Rewarding and acknowledging students for their hard work can go a long way in sustaining their engagement.
Certificates: Use the Stats Bolt-on to create custom leaderboards based on different metrics. This ensures that different students get recognised for their efforts. Once the leaderboards are generated, you can download auto populated certificates. Additionally, explore the new Gone Green certificates (available with the Stats Bolt-On) in the Fluency area to identify students with green heatmaps within a specific timeframe.
To gain the full insights, be sure to watch the entire webinar. Just log in to your Times Tables Rock Stars account and head to ‘Online Training’ > ‘On Demand’.
Thanks for reading! Make sure you follow Jamie Batchelor on Twitter – @MrJABatchelor.
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