Why Kids Forget Times Tables (and the Fix)
By the Duck Math team ·
It is normal for facts to fade over a school holiday. Memory works on use: facts that are not recalled for a while become harder to retrieve.
Part of our complete guide.
Three common reasons
- Practice was only chanting, not answering mixed questions.
- The hardest facts (6, 7, 8) were never isolated and drilled.
- There were long gaps without any review.
What helps
- Spaced practice: a little every day or two, rather than a lot at once.
- Mixed practice: after each table is learned, put it into a Mixed round.
- Targeted practice: list the five facts your child misses most and practise those.
A quick diagnosis
Run a Mixed 2-12 round of Times Tables Duck Race and note the facts that get a hesitant answer or an error. Those are the ones to practise this week.