Times Tables Rock Stars hosts a live event in Sydney

Most people associate Times Tables Rock Stars with online competitions, leaderboards and speedy times tables recall. However, on Wednesday 18th March, the TT Rock Stars team did something a little different: a live maths showcase in Sydney, called Rockathon.

⁠Rockathon was about enjoying puzzles that lie beyond the times tables, showing how a secure foundation in maths basics opens the door to richer problem-solving and strategising and exemplifying our “we go fast to go slow” message.

The participating children, eight from New Zealand and eight from Australia, were all selected based on their standout performances in national TTRS competitions. They collaborated on five brand new games, each carefully crafted to encourage deeper multiplicative thinking and reasoning.

The event was attended by New Zealander of the Year and maths YouTuber Subash Chander, as well as New Zealand’s Minister of Education, the Hon Erica Stanford, both of whom presented certificates to the students.

Speaking at the event, Minister Stanford said: “Strong numeracy skills – stemming from great teaching and plenty of practice – open doors for young people throughout their lives. It’s fantastic to see students from New Zealand and Australia coming together to celebrate their mathematical ability in such a positive way.”

We would like to thank fellow BESA members, Wonde, for sponsoring and attending the event.