subject: Do I Have To Learn Tables – They're Boring! [print this page] Do you remember being asked by your children why they should learn tables when they would rather be doing something else?
Many parents face this question and are unclear as to how to answer it and motivate their children to learn the times tables.
Many parents will try and justify the learning of times tables with the following;
1) The times tables need to be learned because they will help you learn other maths.
2) If you learn tables you'll do well when you leave school.
3) After you've left school you will be more likely to do what you want to do if you work hard at school.
4) You must learn tables because your school says so.
These are the typical answers given by parents to their children in answer to this sort of question.
When it comes to teachers the answers can focus of everyday uses of the times tables where children gain a benefit when they learn tables well;
1) If you know how much something costs you can then work out how much more then one then costs.
2) The other maths that you have to know about will be a lot easier to learn if you know the times tables.
All these are attempts at using logic and good facts to persuade children to learn tables.
To put together a persuasive argument that you may need at work or in your community, it is important to give weight to the use of emotion as well logical argument.
Emotional appeal can make a huge difference in persuasive speaking.
The probability of people accepting your points is greater when you use both logic and emotion.
Do you think that it is the same for children? Logic and emotional appeal?
In most cases using emotion is a far better persuasion strategy and it is no different to when it comes to persuading children to learn tables. Please don't rely on logic.
So what to do? Tell your children that they are going to learn tables using a method that involves a lot of fun and play.
The idea is to persuade them to want to learn tables by appealing to what they love, appealing to what makes them happy, appealing to positive emotions.
Such a method to learn times tables involves images, colour and movement and lets children use their imaginations to have a fun experience.
The key to persuade your children to learn tables is to use lots of fun activities and not logic.
