This content was created by Rob Langman. This content was uploaded by Rob Langman. This is a YouTube instructional video titled "How To Use A Counting Stick To Teach Times Tables" (created 2024-04-10) presented by an instructor named Ellie. It's a classroom-teaching tutorial demonstrating how to use a counting stick to teach the 8 times table (and by extension any times table). The presenter shows a step-by-step method: place key multiples (e.g., 1×8, 5×8, 10×8) on the stick, build connections using doubling/halving and adding/subtracting groups of eight to find other multiples, prompt pupils to fill gaps, and then practice chanting the table forward and backward while gradually removing post-its to strengthen recall. The content is aimed at teachers and pupils for regular classroom practice.
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Hi there, I'm Ellie and in this video we're going to look at how we can use a counting stick to help reinforce your pupils knowledge and recall of times tables. It's something that's really effective to use in the classroom on a regular basis to get pupils practicing those key number facts. There are two main parts. The first is helping pupils understand the connection between different times tables facts and the second is helping them repeat and chant and really get to know those key number facts they need to know. So we're going to start with our eight times table today, but you can use it for any times table. The first thing that I will ask the pupils to do is to place on the counting stick the key number facts. So one times eight to begin with would go at the beginning of my counting stick, I then maybe go, what's 10 times 8? They know that one, it's an easy one. 80 and that can go at the end of my counting stick here. Then if we were looking for the next key number fact, we'd probably go halfway between, which would be 5 times 8, which will give us 40 and that can go in the middle. I've actually put these in a slightly different colour to the ones I'm going to add on next to help them stand out as really good reference points for the pupils. The next thing you can do is really help build connections. So if we know that one times eight is eight, you can ask the pupils, what's two times eight? Two lots of eight. Two groups of eight. Remember, if you say it in different ways, it helps reinforce understanding so they'll be able to tell you that that's 16. I could continue and just say, what's three times eight? But I'm not going to do that. I'm going to use this number fact to find a different times table. So if I know that 2 times 8 is 16, what's 4 times 8? And that's using doubling. If 2 times 8 is 16, then 4 times 8 must be double that, which will give me 32. Now we don't want to place it here. Pupils need to understand that that's the fourth number in our times table. 4 times 8 is 32 and we continue that pattern. If I know 4 times 8 is 32, then what's 8 times 8? 8 times 8 must be double 32, which is 64. And that's going to go here on my number line. So you can see the way that we're building connections and you can work the opposite way as well. You could have started with 64 and you can done half of that and then half of that again. You've then got a few gaps left to fill in. Think of different ways you can question the children to fill in these missing multiples. So perhaps we're going to say we know that 10 times 8 is 80. What must 9 times 8 be? Hopefully somebody in the class would say we need to take away one lot of eight which would give us 72 which can go here. And we could do the same kind of thing for 6 times 8. If we know that 5 times 8 is 40 they should be able to tell you they just add one more lot of eight and that's going to go here as 48. And then we've just got a couple of missing multiples here. And you can do teach you can get them to pull out these number facts in any way. Maybe I'll say what's three lots of eight? So they can give me 24 and, and then with this one I could say you've got to add on eight here or you've got to take away eight from this one. So demonstrating that with your pupils and getting them involved in placing the numbers on the number line is really useful. The next phase is then getting them to repeat the times tables with you. So as a class we might go through 1 times 8 is 8, 2 times 8 is 16, 3 times 8 is 24 and keep going up. And I'd expect everybody in the class to join in then what I might do, and my pupils really enjoy this as a game is to take away some of the numbers. So perhaps I'm going to take away that one, that one and that one and we're going to go up again. But they've got to remember what these numbers are so you can go up and I suggest going backwards as well. And what I do is continue removing the post its slowly perhaps you move some of the easier ones and again you would just keep working through the times table and back again. Eventually you get to the point where you've removed all of your multiples of eight so that I've got an empty number line. But I would still use this to practice the times tables and it really helps reinforce it for the pupils because they're looking at this number line and kind of imagining the post its which were there previously. So you can work all the way along and all the way back and you can do that with any times table. It's a really effective way to help pupils remember those key number facts.
