When do the kids need to learn the Multiplication tables? How?

Though at Taska Damansara Utama there is no dire need to learn the tables, however as we have a. Primary and kindly program at the Learning Steps Academy,  This is a battle we fight and are asked about all the time.  The straight answer is….. as soon as they can. It can be as early as six or as old as nine years old.  

To only start learning the tables at standard 3 or 9 years old is already somewhat late. As standard 2 curriculum in Malaysia already requires Times Table and preliminary division in the later part of Std 2. 

Hence we can derive from here that only starting to learn the complete tables only when you 9 or Std 3 is going to be a game of never ending catch up. 

You can sing it, chant it and play math games. Recite it in the car together on the way to Jaya Grocer,  have a quick quiz during a long haul drive to the hometown. Reward success and encourage their efforts. But being too lenient, delaying the learning until it is too late will hurt their confidence when their peers excel and speeds past them while they scamper to catch up. 

As a teacher we can drill only so much. Parents must enforce and reinforce the learning. Its not always about being super dad n taking the kids to the park, or cuddles and kisses. Sometimes the stiff upper lip and making the learning non-negotiable is building grit in the kids. Grit is what makes winners. To hunker down and do , finish what has been started and seeing it to the end. Grit is what we need to learn anything hard and in the end there is no way to avoid it. Save the kisses and the candy for when they overcome the hurdle not before. Once they earn it, they will cherish it but constant reward  with no effort is a wasted gesture and easily forgotten. Be strong and help us help your child get to finishing line. 

By Michael Lui , Teacher, Cook, Dad, Plumber, Driver, Accountant, Star Wars fan and Guy trying his very best for all kids everywhere.