Table Legs

This is a visual aid designed to be projected onto a whiteboard for whole class exposition. It doesn't need to be an interactive whiteboard though of course that will make the resource more dynamic. The title "Shine+Write" suggests that the teacher or student can write on the whiteboard to enhance this visual aid.

Table Legs provide yet another way for children to practise their times tables. There's nothing wrong with getting the whole class to "chant" the answers as the broken finger moves up and down the screen. It is also an effective way to learn a new times table. The broken finger points the numbers in a predefined sequence, starting with the lower numbers, so that students can work our answers using mental addition at first until they start to remember the answers.

Children can make their own "Table Legs" from strips of paper or card. The numbers 1 to 10 are written on one side and the answers to the times table are written on the back. Children help other children to learn a times table by pointing to numbers (as shown in the picture on the left) and checking the response by looking at the numbers on the back of the card. They can be shown how to select numbers in a helpful sequence, dotting around the lower numbers at first until the other child is answering quickly and confidently.

Keep the Table Legs in the back of children's exercise books so that are readily available to be used regularly over a period of many weeks. Children could make one Table Leg for each of the times tables they are learning.