XTables Champions
Part of the ESSTA Kids family

The Parents'
Blog

Practical advice for helping your child master multiplication — without the tears.

From the Playground: The Adults Who Are Still Ashamed, the Schools Running Out of Budget and the Parents Quietly Doing the Maths All Over Again

This week Miles hears from adults still ashamed of their times tables, teachers losing maths software budgets and parents quietly relearning alongside their kids.

14 August 2026Read

Forgetting & Reversed Questions | Times Tables Games

Real parents and teachers share what's worrying them about times tables this week. Miles listens, gathers the voices, and reflects.

12 August 2026Read

Unplanned Gaps & Adult Maths Shame | Times Tables Games

Real parents, tutors and adult learners share what's worrying them about times tables this week. Miles listens, gathers the voices and reflects honestly.

7 August 2026Read

Summer Slide & Anxious Teachers | Times Tables Games

Real parents and teachers share what's worrying them this week: summer maths loss, teacher anxiety, story-based learning and the post-MTC attainment gap.

31 July 2026Read

When the Facts Just Won't Stick | Times Tables Games

Parents, teachers and even trainee educators share what it really feels like when times tables refuse to stick. Miles listens and reflects, this week.

24 July 2026Read

Forgetting, Freezing & Pushy Parents | Times Tables Games

Real parents and teachers share why times tables won't stick, why children freeze and forget, and how parental over-correction quietly makes things worse.

10 July 2026Read

Times Tables 'By Heart' Before Year 5? | Times Tables App

Your child's teacher wants times tables learned by heart before Year 5. Here's what that really means, why it matters, and how to help at home without the stress.

9 July 2026Read

Gets Multiplication But Facts Won't Stick | Times Tables App

Your child gets what multiplication means but the facts won't stick. Miles at XTables Champions explains why this happens and what genuinely helps.

7 July 2026Read

Stuck on 2s, 5s & 10s? How to Move On | Times Tables App

If your child has mastered the easy times tables but won't move to harder ones, here's why that happens and what you can do at home to gently move them forward.

5 July 2026Read

The Shame of Counting on Fingers | Times Tables Games

Real parents and teachers speak this week about maths shame at every age, the kids still skip-counting in secondary, and the stories that finally make facts stick.

3 July 2026Read

Freezes With an Audience? Confidence Fix | Times Tables App

Your child knows their times tables alone but freezes when watched or tested. Miles explains what's really happening and what genuinely helps at home.

28 June 2026Read

Strong Mental Maths, Weak Written Maths | Times Tables App

If your child can answer times tables out loud but freezes when asked to write them, you're not imagining it. Here's what's really happening and what helps.

26 June 2026Read