Fulwood mum self-publishes maths workbook inspired by her own experiences teaching in various Preston primary schools

Joanne Adams, 46, is a qualified primary school teacher, turned private tutor, who published her first ever book last month called ‘The Busy Bees Times Tables Workbook’.

The mum of two says she was inspired to write her book by her many years teaching and tutoring pupils across Preston. Joanne started Mrs Adams Tuition in 2015, expanding to become Primary Tuition Ltd in 2021, but she had previously taught at St Anthony’s Catholic Primary School, St Bernard’s Catholic Primary School and St Bede’s Catholic Primary School, as well as being a teaching assistant in Queens Drive Primary School, and supply in many others.

Joanne said: “When I was in primary school, I really struggled to remember times tables, I just found them a cloud of numbers that didn't really make much sense to me, and I remember that panic of having to stand up and answer a times table question. Then, all through my career, I'm finding that so many children are struggling with those as well, and in terms of how the curriculum moves on, if they haven't got those times table facts, they really, really struggle in year five and six.

“So through my experience of learning the ways that help accelerate children, I know that you need to start with the basics, what are timetables, can children represent them with objects or pictures, learning a small amount of facts, then looking at how those facts are linked, and then in time, challenges to improve the speed and being able to apply them to reason, so it's a real journey.

“The curriculum is really fast, and children have got lots of gaps from Covid, so I thought it was time to put that in a book so that it's not just my students that can benefit from that knowledge, instead, everybody at home can. ‘Your child needs to practise their time tables’ is very often mentioned in parents evenings or reports, but it can be quite overwhelming, where do parents start?

“So this book takes that slow, steady, step by step approach, and it really helps children see the progress they're making. It's very much written for progress, for motivation, for confidence building, and for success, obviously.”

The little but often approach worked with her own children growing up, with Joanne explaining how her daughter used to find times tables tricky but they began a routine of reading the same time tables book for three minutes outside school each day, until she became more confident.

Joanne added: “It's just that consistency, we only had three minutes in the car every morning to do that but that made such a difference. Having a book there, whether you’re sat in the car, or having your breakfast, that you can just spend a minute or two going through, is easier for families to fit into their busy lifestyles.”

The Busy Bees Times Tables Workbook was published in January and has already made it onto Amazon Young Adults best seller lists.

Now, Joanne hopes to approach independent bookstores with the workbook, and she is currently working on an online programme of recorded lessons to go alongside it.