21 multiplication and division facts with visual part whole representation.

Improving times tables across KS2
A tool for helping to learn table facts and the related division facts. Uses prior knowledge and commutative law to realise there are only 21 facts to learn.
Includes 6 Bar model templates; grid representations of multiplication tables;
Fact family pages for each table fact. (21 facts of 20 pages) Displaying and talking about the division fact from Y3 (or even the summer of Y2) helps to demystify and remove some of the anxieties that children face when they must ‘learn their divides.’
Tables can be a worry for children who feel there are so many to learn.
Once the 2,5 and 10’s have been mastered, there are less facts to master. Once the commutative law has been used as well, only 21 facts remain. These 21 facts are used as fact families, with both the multiplication and division.
The resource has been used successfully in my school for a couple of years and provides consistency across Key stage 2.
How it works
Times tables are still practised and learned in each class - however, there is a focus on a new fact each week. With every class in KS2 learning the same fact, it can be asked of any child at any time of the day, which aids recall and long-term memory. It has created quite a buzz around our school between classes, with who can remember all parts of the fact and how quickly. The older children are driven on to learn and remember the one fact, especially if the younger classes are recalling them more accurately.

The same fact is displayed each week in each classroom with a bar model representation. The fact is ideally laminated for use each year. It ideally starts in September but can be as late as January, to give time to complete all 21 facts

The bar model is laminated and the answer fact is displayed at the top using a whiteboard pen. The number of parts represent one part of the problem. The other part of the problem is put into each of the bottom parts. This really helps the children see the relationship of the numbers and helps for fraction work too, especially fractions of amounts. (See picture)

We use our ‘math’s cadets’ to go around each class and replace the fact and visual bar model each week. They enjoy the responsibility and we can buddy them up with someone who may be still struggling with their tables.

The 10 x 10 grid gives a visual representation of the table facts. The yellow square are the 2,5 and 10’s. The green squares show the commutative facts. That leaves the blue 21 facts. This is a good place to start in a lesson when introducing this into KS2.

If this is introduced in ALL KS2, recall and long-term memory improves so that the whole school will hopefully be knowing these key facts more quickly.