Adam’s Primary Learning Hub

17/02/2026

Times Tables

Practice builds power.

Not pressure. Not panic. Power.

When children practise their times tables regularly, something shifts. Answers come faster. Mistakes reduce. Confidence grows.

It does not take an hour at the kitchen table. It takes five focused minutes. A quick quiz in the car. A few questions before tea. Small, consistent effort adds up. As a teacher, this is what I recommend every time.

Times tables fluency is not about creating little mathematicians overnight. It is about giving your child the foundation they need to feel capable in class.

You do not need to be a maths expert. You just need to make practice part of the routine. Little and often is key 👍

Because practice builds power. And powerful learners believe they can do it.

15/02/2026

Strong tables. Strong learners.

Times tables are more than a maths milestone. They are the foundation for confidence across the whole curriculum.

When children know their multiplication facts securely, everything becomes easier — fractions, division, problem solving, reasoning. Instead of getting stuck on basic recall, they can focus on understanding and applying their knowledge. One of my most reluctant pupils recently excelled in a ‘Fractions of Amounts’ lesson because he knows his times tables.

For many parents, supporting times tables at home can feel repetitive or stressful. The key is short, consistent practice that builds fluency over time. Five focused minutes a day can make a real difference.

Strong times tables are not about racing through answers. They are about building security, accuracy, and belief.

When children feel secure in the basics, they approach maths differently, honest!

14/02/2026

How many words does your child know?
Do they struggle sometimes to explain what they mean?

I found this article earlier and it makes a lot of sense. It also has ideas, tips and tricks to help develop words at home.

14/02/2026

Definitely worth checking out this podcast!

Vocabulary Ninja

Check out 🟠🎙 That Teaching Pod - 'The Positive Teaching Pod!'

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/

📲Regular long and short form content covering every aspect of education for schools, teachers, parents and everyone else!

🧠 Want to be a guest on the pod?: https://bit.ly/4qY4g34

09/02/2026

Children’s Mental Health Week 2026 is underway

It’s Children’s Mental Health Week and it’s so important for us to encourage our children to share their thoughts and feelings about their mental health and to support one another.

09/02/2026

08/02/2026

As parents, we can be guilty of rushing in and solving children’s problems. But one of the most powerful skills we can teach them is how to think differently about challenges.

When your child comes to you with a problem, try this simple shift:

👉 Ask them to imagine a friend had the same problem.
👉 Then ask: “What would you tell them to do?”

This helps children step out of overwhelm and into solution-focused thinking. It also takes the focus off their problem and takes away shame or low self esteem.
It builds emotional resilience, confidence, and problem-solving skills — all essential for strong mental well-being.

Instead of staying stuck in the problem, they learn to explore possibilities, see options, and believe they can handle challenges.

💡 Try it this week:
When your child says, “I can’t do this,” respond with:
“What advice would you give a friend in your situation?”

Small changes in language can create big changes in mindset.

You’re not just solving today’s problem — you’re teaching your child how to navigate life.

06/02/2026

Eyes peeled 👀
This is your first warning on a brand new app which will be released very soon. I know from first hand experience how stressful SATs can be for year 6 pupils and their families. With this in mind, I am developing a web based app to help with this.

Release date tbc BUT I am looking for 2 more people to trial the app FOR FREE and give their feedback.

05/02/2026

Year 4 Times Tables Check – What Parents Need to Know

In England, all Year 4 pupils take the Multiplication Tables Check each year. It’s a short online test designed to see how securely children know their times tables up to 12 × 12.

The check isn’t something to worry about — it’s simply a way for schools to understand what children know and how best to support them. Many children find it manageable, especially with regular practise.

As a parent, how can you help at home?

🌟 3 Top Tips 🌟

1️⃣ Little and often practice.
Short, frequent practice (5–10 minutes a day) is far more effective than long sessions. Quick-fire questions in the car, at dinner, or during routines really help.
I cannot stress enough that little and often is far more powerful than hours and hours.

2️⃣ Make it fun and varied.
Use games, apps, songs, flashcards, or quizzes. Turning times tables into a game reduces pressure and builds confidence. You Tube has dozens of songs to follow!

3️⃣ Focus on understanding, not just speed.
Encourage your child to explain how they worked out answers. Knowing patterns (like doubles, tens, and related facts) makes recall much easier. All answers in the 5x table have a 5 or 0 in the ones column - 5,10,15,20,25 and so on.

Most importantly, remind your child that this is just one small snapshot of their learning — effort and progress matter far more than perfection 🧩

02/02/2026

Times tables are so important across many areas of maths, across other parts of the curriculum and in the real world too!

With this in mind, I have shared a brilliant podcast hosted by the creator of Vocabulary Ninja. That Teaching Pod will be featuring lots of guests from across education so it’s well worth following.

🎙️ Welcome to That Teaching Pod — the positive podcast shining a light on every aspect of education.In this episode, Andrew Jennings is joined by friend, co...

01/02/2026

Reading Is the Skill That Unlocks Every Subject

Reading is not just a literacy skill. It is user across the entire primary curriculum.

Children who read confidently can access questions properly, follow instructions, and make sense of problems. Those who struggle with reading often struggle quietly in subjects like maths, science and history — not because they don’t understand the ideas, but because they can’t fully access the language.

Reading supports:
• Comprehension and vocabulary
• Independent learning
• Confidence across subjects
• Understanding exam questions and tasks

Regular reading builds more than accuracy. It builds stamina, attention and the ability to hold ideas in mind — all essential for learning.

Reading little and often has a greater impact than long, irregular sessions. It’s not about racing through books, but about developing understanding and confidence over time.

Reading the same book over and over is not a bad thing. Nor is reading a book deemed ‘too easy.’ A love of reading is what counts most of all.

Reading doesn’t need to be an impossible puzzle 🧩