Times Table Testing – Mathematically, Ahead of the Game

The Government have announced that every pupil in England will be tested on their times tables before leaving primary school and that pupils aged 11 will be expected to know their tables up to 12x12 (in spite of working in a decimalised world with calculators being on every device we own these days) and they will be tested using an ‘on-screen check’. This ‘on-screen check’ examination will involve children completing multiplication challenges against the clock, which will be scored instantly.

I think we can all agree that there are two issues with this: 1. High-stakes testing can produce stress and failure. 2. Times-tables tests over-emphasize just one small part of maths.

Whilst there is a danger of times tables being overemphasised, and we know that memory certainly doesn’t equate to understanding, we do agree that this knowledge is extremely helpful when dealing with other aspects of the subject.

Rest assured, neither you nor your children should not be at all concerned at the introduction of these new tests as our introduction, outside of the normal curriculum, of the Cracking Times Tables system 3 years ago will put them in an incredibly strong position to be able to deal with this additional test confidently.