If you are reading this in June, you are almost certainly in the thick of it. The Year 4 Multiplication Tables Check (MTC) window is open right now, and across the country, classrooms and kitchen tables are carrying a weight that goes far beyond reciting seven eights. For many children — and for many of the adults supporting them — this time of year brings a very real spike in maths anxiety.
We know this because search trends for terms like "maths anxiety", "MTC stress", and "times tables help" surge every single June. Teachers are looking for last-minute strategies. Parents are searching late at night. And children, whether they have just sat the check or are still waiting to, are feeling it. This article is written directly for that moment — not as a generic guide, but as a considered, honest response to what is happening in schools right now.
Why the MTC Triggers Maths Anxiety in the First Place
The Multiplication Tables Check is not inherently harmful. It gives schools useful data, and times tables fluency genuinely does underpin later maths success. But the format — a timed, one-question-per-six-seconds digital check covering all tables up to 12 × 12 — is precisely the kind of high-pressure environment that can tip a child who is already uncertain into full maths anxiety.
For neurodivergent children, those with SEND, or any pupil who processes information differently, the timed element alone can be enough to cause working memory to shut down. The result is a score that reflects anxiety rather than knowledge. And once a child walks away from that screen feeling as though they have "failed" at maths, rebuilding that confidence is not as simple as more drilling.
Rote repetition under pressure is, ironically, one of the least effective ways to help an anxious child. Research in educational psychology consistently shows that anxiety disrupts recall — meaning that a child who knows their tables in a calm setting may blank entirely when the clock is ticking.
The Post-MTC Dip: What It Looks Like and Why It Matters
In the weeks following the MTC window, many Year 4 teachers and parents notice a post-test dip. Children who found the check stressful may:
- Avoid or resist anything labelled as "maths practice"
- Express that they are "bad at maths" or "not a times tables person"
- Show reluctance to attempt problems they previously found manageable
- Become disengaged in maths lessons more broadly
This dip is not a reflection of ability. It is a confidence problem — and confidence problems require confidence solutions, not more pressure.
For SENCOs and class teachers, this is also the moment to review how the MTC experience landed for individual pupils, particularly those with dyscalculia, ADHD, dyslexia, or generalised anxiety. The data from the check is only useful if it is interpreted alongside what you already know about the whole child.
Why Multiplayer Games Are the Antidote — Not a Reward
Here is the shift in thinking that makes the biggest difference: maths practice does not have to feel like maths practice.
When children play multiplayer games that they actually enjoy, several things happen simultaneously. They enter a low-stakes, high-engagement environment. They are motivated by social connection and healthy competition rather than a timer and a score. And — crucially — they practise the same underlying fluency skills that the MTC is designed to measure, without the anxiety response that a formal drill triggers.
This is not a new idea in educational psychology. Play-based learning and game-based learning have a strong evidence base, particularly for learners with SEND and those experiencing anxiety. What is newer is the availability of platforms that take this seriously — that are built from the ground up around games children already love, rather than wrapping a worksheet in a thin digital skin.
Multiplayer formats add another layer of benefit. When a child is playing alongside a classmate or friend, the social dimension takes centre stage. The maths becomes the vehicle, not the destination. For neurodivergent learners in particular, this shift in framing can be transformative.
Practical Steps for Teachers and Parents Right Now
Whether you are a Year 4 teacher looking at your class after the MTC window, a SENCO reviewing individual profiles, or a parent trying to help a child who came home deflated, here is where to start:
- Acknowledge the experience first. Before attempting any practice, name what happened. "That was a tricky test and it is okay if it felt hard." Validating the feeling reduces its grip.
- Remove the timer for a while. Any practice in the immediate aftermath should be entirely untimed. The goal is fluency and confidence, not speed — speed returns naturally once confidence is rebuilt.
- Introduce games, not drills. Find formats that feel genuinely playful. Multiplayer games where the child is playing *with* or *against* someone, rather than simply answering questions alone on a screen, are particularly effective.
- Celebrate process over product. Praise the attempt, the strategy, the willingness to try — not the score.
- Maintain low-pressure consistency. Short, regular sessions (even ten minutes a day) outperform occasional intense practice sessions, especially for anxious learners.
- Loop in the SENCO if needed. If a child's maths anxiety seems to be affecting their broader confidence or wellbeing, it is worth a conversation with the school's SENCO about appropriate adjustments.
How XTables Champions Supports Children Through and Beyond the MTC
XTables Champions was built specifically for this problem. The platform uses popular games that children already know and love — with a strong emphasis on multiplayer formats — to make times tables practice something children actually want to do, rather than something they dread.
The SEND-friendly design is not an afterthought. It is embedded in every aspect of the experience: the pacing, the visual design, the way feedback is delivered. For neurodivergent learners who found the MTC particularly challenging, XTables Champions offers a route back into maths fluency that does not require sitting another timed test.
For schools, this is a platform that SENCOs, class teachers and senior leaders can feel confident recommending — because it meets children where they are, rather than where the curriculum expects them to be.
For parents, it is an answer to that late-night search: something that works, something your child will actually use, and something that will not make maths anxiety worse.
Talk to Us About Supporting Your Pupils
If you are a teacher, SENCO, or school leader looking for a SEND-friendly, genuinely engaging way to support your Year 4 pupils through and beyond the MTC — or if you are a parent wanting to help a child who has come away from this year's check feeling deflated — we would love to hear from you.
Get in touch with the XTables Champions team at xtableschampions.com to find out how the platform can support your school or your child. We are happy to talk through your specific situation, answer questions about our SEND-friendly approach, and help you find the right next step — no pressure, just a genuine conversation.
Because every child deserves to feel like a maths champion — especially after a tough June.