Ever have one of those moments when you wonder why something isn’t as publicised as you though it would be? Hands up; how many of you are parents with children attending formal primary school education? Now keep your hands up if you were aware of the ‘go ahead’ for the new times tables test which should be ‘hitting’ your children next year? I bet a few hands went down there! Well. I’ve been blogging about it for a while so maybe if education is something you are concerned about its time to keep up to date with information which will ultimately affect you and your children. 

This test has seeped through the cracks of the educational system unnoticed, like deadly smoke seeping under a closed bedroom door while you are sleeping. You are within it, but have no idea of the effects, until it affects you! This test has the ability to choke you and your children if you are not prepared. 

Remember walking into an exam room when you were younger? The rows upon rows of eerily uncomfortable wooden seats? Desks so small it was hard to turn over two or more stapled together sheets of paper without having to do an abrasive manoeuvre to ensure it didn’t fall off the so called ‘desk’?

Unprepared. Waiting for until the time when you can officially begin to show your teachers that you didn’t practice enough, you didn’t ‘get it’ or they simply didn’t cater to your earning style… Or was you a high flyer? Knew that you knew what you knew and knew that they knew too? If it’s the latter. Let’s hope your children followed in your footsteps and are raring and ready to go with their times tables. 

We first heard of the times tables test in 2015 when announced the possibility of it. It was then held back until now. 

Did you know that England haven’t had a standardised times tables test since 1944!

Let’s see how you get on with these:

Answer them as quickly as possible, no pen or paper ‘the tunes times’ tables’ way’! 

11×11=

4×7=

7×7=

8×4=

9×9=

How did you get on? Let’s hope you achieved five out of five? If not, one would wonder, how can you then go on to help your child/children with this newly implemented test if you’re not sure of your times tables yourself? Missed practice sessions in the car on the school run, practice sessions just before bed, missed practice sessions just when those sessions are needed the most!

But that’s the thing, I would never look down upon anyone for not achieving something as simple as times tables. Yes, I’ve mastered them; it certainly took me longer than most. But I did, and that’s all that counts. It’s not the time the journey takes, it’s whether you have the determination and confidence to battle on through and get to the end that counts.  The world is simply full of resources to enable us to all achieve what we want and need to achieve. 

I am one of those resources. With my tunes times tables method I can teach children their times tables within hours. It’s a proven fact. No boring worksheets or reciting the same boring facts over and over again. Children don’t learn like that. Children learn through sensory play, movement, smiling, joy and laughter. Children remember experiences more the facts. So do we.

Close your eyes; think about your best maths lesson  back in the days in school, a lesson you’ve always remembered. Now look around, who do you see? What made you comfortable? What made you laugh? Who sat next to you throughout those lessons? I bet you can remember the experience, the smell, the ‘thing’ you did as opposed to thing you learned?

This is the ‘tunes times tables’ method; no pens or paper. No confinement to desks. We’re laughing, jumping, hopping, shouting, singing, and moving in all kinds of direction. We’re making every moment and every movement count. 

But I’m still yet to get a shout out; to be implemented into the curriculum. To be told ‘we know your method works; help them’! 

Having written letters to parliament and having approached the House of Commons. Having received awards from the prince and acclaimed celebrities. Having worked so hard for the youngsters to show them… ‘If I can do it, you can too’. I’m shouting from the rooftops ‘I’m here to help’! 

Silence…

Not a whisper…

What do you call it when you know someone is there to assist but you prefer to struggle anyway? Well, this ‘struggle is at the detriment of your child, your niece, the next door neighbour’s children, your child’s classmates and the child with the attitude who lives next door.

But one in every child will suffer if the government and all those who know of my gift to teach times tables and all those who know that my method works. Who have seen it in practice, who have seen the parents, children and head teacher’s recommendations yet sit idly by.

At times this is the issue we have as a society; we don’t want to help each other, we don’t want to pass on the message, we don’t want to share the information or news, we don’t want to pass on the skills or the useful advice. 

Then the little ones suffer because we think we’ve changed things, but were just as stubborn as those before us; and so it goes on. We don’t really improve, we just alter the tests, alter the grading systems, put a pinch there and take out a pinch here and everything’s ok! While depression and so many mental conditions are on the rise… what a surprise! 

Ultimately, when we are gone, we leave behind a legacy. I ask one question. Did we seek and find the answers and help to build up or did we hide those hidden gems and die with them?