Helping a learner who is stuck on times tables

Identify what “stuck” means

Ask the learner to show a fact with objects or a drawing, explain how they reached an answer, and answer the same fact without a timer. Those three views help separate conceptual understanding, slow retrieval, and performance pressure.

• If the learner cannot model the groups, return to arrays and repeated addition.
• If the answer is correct but reconstructed slowly each time, use short spaced retrieval.
• If untimed answers are sound but timed answers collapse, remove the clock while confidence rebuilds.

Reduce the size of the next step

Longer sessions and more new facts are rarely the clearest response to difficulty. Narrow the active set, mix a small amount of new material with secure facts, and stop while attention is still available.

Similar facts can interfere with one another. If two answers are repeatedly swapped, separate them temporarily and connect each one to a distinct strategy or visual model before mixing them again.

Use the app as evidence, not judgement

The progress screens show which forms and tables have recent evidence. They are intended to help choose the next practice, not label a learner. A low or falling Recall value means the fact needs fresh evidence; it does not mean the learner has failed.