The Trigger Memory Co. ~ Times Tales

I had the opportunity to review the digital download version of Times Tales by The Trigger Memory Co.. Times Tales makes learning multiplication facts EASY and FUN!! 

I always dread helping my children learn their upper times tables. It usually begins with crying and statements like, "I cannot learn these, it is too hard." I have probably flipped through multiplication fact cards thousands of times to help my children learn them. 

I did not get my hopes up that this program would be any different, or better than the many other programs available to aid in learning multiplication. Before having my daughter start the program I sat and watched it for myself. To be honest my first thought was that this was never going to work. Times Tales was going to be yet another program to collect dust and clutter up space on my computer. I will be the first to admit when I am wrong and I was unquestionably wrong in my assumptions.

So how exactly does Times Tales work?

Part One begins with a brief explanation of how Times Tales works. Hannah, the narrator, starts off by telling the student to just listen to the stories and not worry about how the story works to learn each multiplication fact. Learn the stories and in step 4 it will all come together when you realize that the stories have hidden multiplication facts in them. Each part is 30 minutes in length. 

The 6 steps of Part 1:

1. Meet the characters and the numbers that they represent and then take the Character Quiz with the Times Tales "Beat The Clock!" Game
2. Learn the Stories
3. Story Quiz
4. You're the Story Teller
5. Practice the Flashcards
6. Flashcards

The 6 steps to Part 2 are similar:

1. Learn the Stories
2. Story Quiz
3. You're the Story Teller
4. Practice the Flashcards
5. Flashcard
6. Final Test

I reluctantly had my daughter sit down and watch Part 1 of Times Tales and after she watched it I was blown away!!!! Not only was she able to remember the characters and the numbers that they stood for but she recited ALL OF THE STORIES TOO. After she realized that the stories contained not only a multiplication fact but it also had the answer too. My daughter's eyes got big, she was grinning from ear to ear, and started screaming, "I can do multiplication!" I then got out the flash cards. We started with the ones that displayed the number characters. She blew through those facts and so we moved on to the regular fact cards. It took her a bit longer as she thought through the story in her head but was able to answer with 100% accuracy. When I explained how division worked it took her a bit to think through the problems but she was soon able to do the division problems as well. In under an hour she successfully learned 8 multiplication facts. 

Multiplication Facts (Part One)

Upper 3's and 4's

3x6                 4x6

3x7                 4x7

3x8                 4x8

3x9                 4x9

For the next couple of days I had her recite the stories and work through the flash cards. I was still in total disbelief that it worked and that she retained them. 

Next, we moved onto Part 2 of Times Tales.

Multiplication Facts (Part Two)

Upper 6's, 7's, 8's & 9's

7x9                 6x7                 6x6

8x9                 6x8                 7x7

9x9                 6x9                 8x8

7x8

Part 2 proved to be as successful as the first. Again, within less than an hour my daughter learned all of the stories, multiplication and division facts. I think she shocked herself at how easy learning multiplication was using Times Tales. 

Confession time!! Due to Spring Break, and unexpected health issues, we did not listen to Part 2 until a couple of weeks after completing Part One. I was extremely concerned that my daughter would have forgotten the stories and facts that went with Part One but she didn't!! She had about a 95% accuracy rate upon retesting. She retained what she had learned weeks before. I was SHOCKED!

The Multiplication Facts 

learned with Times Tales

Part One is highlighted in yellow

Part Two is highlighted in blue

Each part has printable flashcards, a set with pictures and a set without. There is also a Crossword Puzzle Challenge, Practice Tests, Tests, and a Roll-'Em Cube Game for each part. 

Thank you Mr. and Mrs. Snowman, Mr. and Mrs. Week, Treehouse, The Sixth Grade Class, Butterflies, and Chair for your help in making learning the multiplication facts both FUN and EASY!!

With these upper multiplication facts memorized all of the other facts, that are much easier to learn, just fall into place. My 7 year old has successfully learned all of her multiplication and division facts through the 10's. 

Final Thoughts
I would wholeheartedly recommend Times Tales to parents and educators looking for a fun, and easy way to learn multiplication facts. I wish that this system was available when my other children were struggling to learn their times tables. 

You can read more reviews by clicking HERE.

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