Child struggling with times tables? Here is what helps
You practise every evening, and the next day 7 × 8 has vanished again. It is rarely your child’s fault: most practice time goes to facts they already know. With the Times Tables Coach in the Moon Pass, the facts your child gets wrong come back more often until they stick.
Why times tables do not stick
Chanting a table from start to finish mostly teaches the order. When 7 × 8 turns up on its own, between other questions, your child starts counting again. It feels as if they know nothing, while most of the facts are already secure.
Plain repetition gives every fact the same attention. A child who has known 2 × 5 for ages still practises it as often as 7 × 8, so the few facts that are really hard do not come back often enough.
Practise the facts that still go wrong
Most children are stuck on a handful of facts, often in the 6, 7, 8 and 9 times tables. Find those facts and give them more practice time than the rest.
That is what the Times Tables Coach in the Moon Pass does for you. Tables that go badly get about three of every eight questions. A fact your child just missed comes back a few questions later, while the answer is still fresh. Facts that are secure come up less often.
Short, every day, for their own pet
A game of Pet Rocket is two rounds of one minute. Your child picks a pet and brings it closer to the Moon with every right answer. One game a day works better than a long session at the weekend, and many children ask for another round themselves.
If it all gets too much and your child bangs several keys at once, it does not count as a mistake. Their pet says it is fine to find this hard, and your child chooses a little help or tries again. Feeling frustrated is allowed, and the game simply carries on.
See what your child has learned
With the Moon Pass you see your child’s hardest facts and the ones they learned this week. You know where they stand without testing them every evening. When a table is secure, your child earns a planet for it in their trophy cabinet.
What is free and what does the Moon Pass add?
Free, no account needed
- Every times table and division fact from 1 to 10
- Pick all tables, the 6 to 9 times tables or your own choice
- 20 pets to choose from, 4 more to unlock by playing, and medals and vehicles to earn
- A summary after every round and a simple daily view for parents
- Calm focus music while playing, off with one tap
- Teacher links that set up the game for a whole class
Moon Pass ($9.99 per year)
- Times Tables Coach: the sums your child still gets wrong come back more often
- The 11 and 12 times tables, also in the worksheets and teacher links
- Full statistics: 14-day chart, accuracy per table, every round and the hardest sums
- Printable worksheets with an answer page, including one with your child’s hard sums
- Several children, each with their own statistics
- A printable times tables certificate
- The bonus game for telling the time
The tables
Keep practising
Frequently asked questions
Is it normal to keep forgetting times tables?
Yes. Knowing a fact and recalling it quickly are two different steps. Many children know a fact in the moment and have lost it the next day. Short, regular practice with extra time for the hard facts helps most.
Which times tables are the hardest?
For most children the 6, 7, 8 and 9 times tables, and facts such as 6 × 8, 7 × 8 and 8 × 7 in particular. In the game you can choose just those tables.
Do I need to sit with my child while they practise?
No. Your child plays on their own, with no account and no ads. If you want to know how it went, have a look at today’s summary after the game.