Reviews

Times Tales

The publishers of Times Tales promise that their product will teach your children the "upper times tables in less than an hour." "Upper" refers to the 6 through 9 times tables.

I received a copy of the Times Tales product to review and tested it on two of my children. Both are boys, one is 8 and the other is 11. My 11-year-old knew many of his multiplication facts already, and my 8-year-old knew the lower multiplication facts (1 through 5 or so) before trying this program. We haven't tried any memorization techniques before reviewing this program. My children just learn their math facts by working through problems, remembering through repetition, plus some number strategies (like the "9" trick, and the "doubling" trick).

We tested Times Tales at night when my boys were tired and almost ready for bed. Why? Because it was the only free time we had that day and I wanted to write this review the next day. Besides, if it works with tired boys, imagine how it would work with wide-awake, refreshed kids.

I spent less than an hour going through the multiplication part of the program with both boys that night, and, in spite of their fatigue, the product worked. I used the flash cards (comes with the product) to test my 8-year-old son's recall the next morning and he got almost all of them correct. When he stumbled, he just had to think about the "story" a minute longer and then was able to get it right.

This program works because it uses pictorial stories to function as a mnemonic device. It's like using the "Every Good Boy Does Fine" sentence to remember scales in band class, or using the "My Dear Aunt Sally" trick to determine which operation to do first in multi-operation math problems.

It's important to point out that this product doesn't teach multiplication concepts, it just helps children memorize the 6 through 9 multiplication facts. It's great for younger children who need to memorize facts in order to work through more complex problems at a faster pace and with less frustration. It does add a layer to the process, however. When presented with a problem, they first have to think of the story, and then they can remember the answer. Even with the extra layer, though, they can still tell you the answer quickly.

After a while, children will probably start remembering the answers without having to recall the stories first. To help that process along, I would recommend that parents emphasize conceptual understanding as their children get older. I would also recommend teaching them other math strategies besides memorization (the 9 "trick", doubling, etc) so that their children will have both conceptual skills and strategies at their disposal. Although my 11-year-old already knew most of his multiplication facts, he viewed the Times Tales stories as yet another trick to add to his arsenal.

The version of Times Tales that I received also had a division portion. I haven't tested that yet, but it seems to complement the multiplication and would be very easy for children to learn once they learn the multiplication stories.

The original version of Times Tales (multiplication) is available for $14.95, while the deluxe version (also includes division) is available for $19.95. Readers of the Carolina Homeschooler website can get a $2.00 discount from this webpage. Just print out the order form, write down the coupon code CAHMSCHL on the discount line (or cut out the coupon on the webpage) and mail your order and check to the publisher.

The bottom line - based on my experience, this product delivers on its promise of learning the "upper times tables in under an hour." Learning the concepts behind multiplication and learning other strategies are important, but Times Tales will immediately reduce frustration for kids who struggle slowly through more complex math problems because they haven't learned their math facts.