Times Tables Strategies

What is Times Tables Strategies app?

Two retired teachers designed Times Tables Strategies. They had observed that the move away from rote learning toward a greater understanding of multiplication facts had not resulted in the hoped-for benefits.  

While addition and multiplication strategies help children get to the correct answer, it is still a calculation. Calculations take time and thought, which can distract from the bigger maths problem at hand.  

The kids had not practised enough to achieve the level of fluency required. Without this fluency, kids doing more advanced maths are hesitant in their calculations and more prone to mistakes.   

Times Tables Strategies app is part of a solution to help children who fall short of the expected fluency in addition and multiplication facts. 

What we love about Times Tables Strategies.

There are many times tables apps on the market, but few explain the research and experience behind their methods as well as Times Tables Strategies does. You should check out the app's website to learn more. 

The strategies that the app explains are genuinely helpful. They are only briefly presented with a couple of examples, but the app is not meant to introduce these strategies, only remind kids of them so that they can use them in the practice provided by the app.   

What skills does it improve?

The developers make it clear that they have not designed Times Tables Strategies to teach multiplication or addition as concepts. Instead, they intend the app to teach children to use the efficient strategies their teachers taught them in earlier years. 

What age is it appropriate for?

Having observed that a sizable proportion of children have failed to learn the times tables at the age at which they should have done, the developers have made Times Tables Strategies age-neutral. Its approach and graphical style will not put off older kids. Younger kids learning addition and multiplication strategies for the first time are not the intended audience for this app, but it will still provide valuable practice for them. 

Is Times Tables Strategies easy to use?

Times Tables Strategies has an elegant look and feel that makes navigating within the app simple. The answer mechanics are not innovative, but they are simple and in keeping with the app's straightforward approach. 

How will students benefit?

As the app's developers rightly say, children who know the times tables feel a sense of confidence in maths. Even without research to say this is so, it makes sense.   

Teachers constantly tell kids that the times tables are critical to their maths education. No wonder those that have not learned the tables feel that the subject as a whole must be beyond their reach. If students respond to this app's methods and learn the maths facts within it, their confidence in maths will get a boost.   

The app's simple answer mechanics work well with the app's intention to have the user compete against themselves. It provides randomised questions and a final time. Kids will enjoy striving to beat their best time and, no doubt, those of their classmates. 

How will teachers benefit?

The move away from rote learning in many educational systems has supporters and detractors. The app's web site goes into the thinking behind the app's creation and its motivation. The insights provided by this are beneficial for teachers to decide whether they think the app could help their students. 

Many existing times tables apps have neglected kids that failed to learn the tables at the expected time. Older kids who need to practice multiplication and addition facts with an app have to use apps with aesthetics that betray their targeting of a younger audience. Times Tables Strategies gives teachers a much-needed tool for helping these older kids without making them feel like they are taking a step backwards. 

How will parents benefit?

In meetings with parents, maths teachers often emphasise that helping their children to improve their knowledge of the times tables would be beneficial.

With this app, parents have a cost-effective and straightforward way of providing this help. 

What Times Tables Strategies can improve on?

When the player enters the answers into the practice activity, they can do so in any order by tapping the empty boxes. However, should they complete the screen this way and finish on an answer box that is not the final one, no option to end the activity is present. They must first select the last box to get a 'done' option. 

Either the app should insist on completing the questions in order, or present the 'done' option when the user has filled all of the boxes, regardless of whether the final field has the user's focus. This latter behaviour would make the app behave more in line with user expectations. 

While the app's website provides plenty of background to the app's design, it is a shame that it does not feature within Times Tables Strategies as a teacher-guidance page. Here, it would be more likely to be read by teachers who download the app.   

In a similar vein, when the user first opens the app, a brief overview of its purpose and goals appears. A parent-friendly page that expands on this information would be very beneficial to many parents who may not be aware of the opening information or wish to learn more about supporting their children. 

How much does Times Tables Strategies cost?

Times Tables Strategies is available for a single one-off price. There are no in-app purchases nor subscriptions required to use the app fully. 

Is Times Tables Strategies safe to use?

This app concentrates on helping kids to learn the times tables and associated facts. There is nothing in the app that is inappropriate for kids. It is possible to register an account with the app to allow the user to synchronise their scores across different devices, but it is not compulsory.

Overall rating of the app.

Times Tables Strategies does not leverage gameplay mechanics to make its subject attractive. Instead, it cuts straight to the point of refreshing children's understanding and providing practice opportunities.   

Times Tables Strategies does not have a broad coverage. It is a precision tool that focuses on achieving its goals of addition and multiplication fluency.

The clear sense of purpose evident in Times Tables Strategies make it an easy decision for you. If you need an app to help your kids or students to achieve the level of fluency in addition and multiplication that is expected of them but has thus far eluded them, Times Tables Strategies is perfect for that.

The app's reasonable one-off price reflects the app's purity of purpose. It won't be an app that your kids return to over the years. Once they are fluent in the addition and multiplication facts, they will remain so through their general maths work. They will, however, have Times Tables Strategies to thank for getting them to that stage.

You can download Times Tables Strategies on your iOS devices from the Apple App Store.