National times tables check - useful progress monitor or just another unnecessary test?

Many of you will be aware that, over the next two years, primary schools will be required to introduce the new national times table check to all Year 4 children. Since its announcement over a year ago, it has been seen as a controversial move by the government. Many who oppose it say, with good reason, that it is just another excuse for another national test to be imposed on schools and on children. Children are already inundated with tests at primary level, so why do we need another which won’t really have any positive impact on children’s learning and experience at school?

The other argument, again based on good reasoning, is that the introduction of the phonics check for Year 1 pupils has shown very positive results, and does help schools identify any problem areas with children’s reading at an early stage. This allows schools to provide high-quality intervention to these children over the following years, which helps improve their reading dramatically. So, if such a test can help with reading, why wouldn’t it work with times tables?

It will continue to be a devise issue, and it is unlikely to get widespread support or condemnation until we have seen it in action for a couple of years. For teachers, there is a concern about how this data will be used. The government say that such results won’t be used by OFSTED or other authorities to bring judgements on schools. However, actions speak louder than words, and there are plenty of judgements made in education based upon things that aren’t supposed to be scrutinised.

So what will this test actually be like? Well, it is actually quite a progressive move from the Department for Education as the test will be the first computerised test to be introduced in schools. They say that it will be an “on-screen check” lasting no more than five minutes. I for one have long been an advocate of introducing more “real-world” technology into schools, and if another test has to be introduced, I’m delighted it is going to be computerised. However, whilst such a bold move is welcomed, it does come with potential problems. No information has yet been released about how children who struggle with reading things on-screen or who have conditions such as dyslexia will have their needs met. Whilst I’m sure some allowances will be made, I also hope that these measures will actually give these children a platform which allows them to have a go with conditions that truly meet their needs.

Additionally, as many times as the word “check” is used in official statements, the children will be required to answer questions within a set time limit, meaning it is a test in all but name. However, unlike the SATS, it would appear that there will be no official “pass mark”, meaning it isn’t a test children can pass or fail. Yet I fear that someone in an official position will, at some point, inform schools what the “expected score” would be, which in turn will become the unofficial pass mark that doesn’t exist but all children must meet...

I have never met a parent or teacher who doesn’t think times tables are important. They are a staple of mathematics and essential knowledge for the real world. The National Curriculum states that all children by the end of Year 4 should know their tables up to 12x12 and be able to recall them quickly, and there are many children who achieve this goal and can put many adults to shame with their knowledge and manipulation of the times tables facts. But not all children find it easy to learn and retain this information, and there are concerns from parents that all this test will do is highlight to their children what they can’t do, causing more stress and anxiety. Hopefully, and the government has stated this on more than one occasion, it will really be used to pick out those children so that they can be given further high-quality intervention in Year 5 to ensure they can know as many of them as possible.

But, I hear you ask, what can we as parents do to help our children in the meantime? Well, there are a number of great resources and techniques you can use. There are a huge variety of online games and apps that are dedicated to times tables, but the one I recommend the most frequently to parents is the game Hit the Button from Topmarks. This is a great game that can be played on a computer or through an app available on both iOS and Android - I find that children prefer to play it on a tablet as they can literally hit the button as opposed to clicking on it. The idea is that children can set which times tables to practise, a question appears with various answers, and children hit the button with the correct answer. It is against the clock, thereby improving children’s quick recall skills, and strangely addictive (but in a good way!).

Many schools subscribe to Mathletics, which is another fantastic program that improves all areas of maths. Within Mathletics, there are specific times table quizzes and challenges that children can complete, some of which are timed, but others are not which allow children to focus on accuracy rather than speed. Away from computer-based solutions, there are a number of books and worksheets you can get (some of which you can download for free) which children can complete. One fun way which involves more interaction with your child is to do a head to head quiz with them. You ask them a question, and if they get it right then they ask you a question in return. This works well because, when they ask you a question, they still have to work out the answer to see if you are correct. Try to deliberately get some answers wrong to see if they pick up on it, but don’t do it all the time as you lose the element of competition that they will enjoy. You could even throw in a little prize for the winner and a silly forfeit for the loser, but don’t always let them win otherwise they’ll be less motivated to practise that times table so they can beat you!

One final piece of advice is one I have mentioned before in previous blogs: it is much more effective for children to do 5-10mins practise a day than to do a one hour block one per week. The reason for this is children are constantly having to revisit and practise this skill every day, meaning it becomes more integrated into their thinking. If they practise once a week, children don’t have any reason to think about it again until next week, meaning they aren’t constantly thinking and revisiting their tables.

The following link is to a really useful website, containing further information about this new times table check, as well as some more advice and techniques for how to help your child with their tables: https://www.theschoolrun.com/new-primary-school-times-tables-tests-explained. We await further information from official sources about how it will work, but I’m sure many teachers and parents will join me on seeing whether or not this new national times tables check becomes another useful progress monitor like the Year 1 phonics screen, or just another test primary children have to endure. I sincerely hope, for the benefit of our children and to help preserve what should be one of the happiest times of their lives, that it is the former.

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