Perfect Times CD-ROM

We recommend that you install Perfect Times. In most cases the CD should auto run when it is inserted into the drive then simply follow the on-screen instructions. If you would like to play the games without installing the software, run 'Perfect Times.exe' (PC) or 'PTimes' (Mac) directly from the CD. Please note that you will not be able to access the administration part of Perfect Times unless you install the software.

In the event you lose your administration password, copy 'Resources/Data/admin.txt' from the original CD over the corresponding file 'admin.txt' in the installed product. This will manually reset the password to 'PERFECT'.

Yes. Simply install or move the installed files to a location on the network to which other users have access.

No. The Cambridge-Hitachi 'one price solution' means that the single user, site and network licence is included in the published price.

Multiplication and division tables are traditionally learnt by primary-school pupils. However, many secondary-school pupils need to attain fluency, as do a number of adults. The format is designed so older children and adults can use the program as well as younger children. The game layout and design is not age dependent having been played by 4 to 84 year olds.

By:
- promoting multiple practise,
- being intrinsically motivating (to encourage practise!),
- providing positive corrective feedback (to avoid incorrect number bonds from forming, by, for example, giving ticks on correctly placed cards in Learn mode and at the end of each round ),
- asking for facts in a random order/presenting facts in a random order (as random access is required),
- providing the opportunity to generate facts and use various mental methods (e.g. using patterns or known facts to find answers),
- giving an indication of progress (with the time score, which does not require the learner to 'seek the opinion' of an authoritative figure, particularly important to avoid in older children and adults).

Perfect Times provides a standardised quantitative measure of fluency. As players become more fluent their time score decreases. Players attain fluency when they consistently achieve a time score of less than 20 seconds. Players generally achieve a time score of between 20 and 40 seconds within a few rounds, but are not fluent. However, the subtly of the scoring means that players who are not quite fast enough to be fluent are not embarrassed by their score. The time score acts as a motivating catch. Initially players see their scores get much faster, often halving in the first couple of rounds. They get hooked on beating 20 seconds. The only way to do that, of course, is to recall fluently the multiplication/division table required. Through a time score, Perfect Times offers a standardised form of assessment.

The game itself is language independent so it can be played if your first language isn't English. Perfect Times is independent of writing ability or competence in a particular language. Many pupils do not like writing out sums repetitively - it's boring and writers' cramp is painful. Other pupils, who may have difficulty in a particular language struggle with the language - not the number bonds.

- By Year 2 (ages 6-7), pupils will know by heart facts for the 2 & 10 times table
- By Year 3 (ages 7-8), pupils will know by heart the 2, 5 and 10 times table
- By Year 4 (ages 8-9), pupils will know by heart multiplication facts for the 2, 3, 4, 5 and 10 times table including multiplication by 0 and 1and begin to know them for the 6, 7, 8 and 9 times-tables
- By Year 5 (ages 9-10), pupils will know by heart all the multiplication facts up to 10 x 10 including multiplication by 0 and 1
- By Year 6 (ages 10-11), pupils continue to know by heart all multiplication facts to 10 x 10 including multiplication by 0 and 1
- By Year 8 (ages 12-13) pupil's pupils understanding and interpreting of graphs develops through Perfect Times bar chart, box whisker charts and self-assessment

The games are not reliant on sound so are suitable for deaf pupils. The colour of the cards can be changed which is useful for someone who might be colour-blind who has been diagnosed as having Scotopic Sensitivity Syndrome. Perfect Times has been used successfully with dyslexic pupils.

If you are using Flash Player 8, you may find that its enhanced security settings stop some elements of your Cambridge-Hitachi product from working. For example, buttons may appear to do nothing when you click on them. This is because Flash Player 8's security settings will only allow trusted content to play. There is a quick and easy way to set up Flash Player 8 always to trust content from Cambridge-Hitachi:

1. Go to Macromedia website to access the Macromedia Flash Player Settings Manager. The program runs within the web page, so you won't need to download anything. All you need to do is follow these instructions:
2. Go to the Global Security Settings tab.
3. Click on the "Edit locations..." dropdown and choose "Add location...".
4. Click on the "Browse for folder..." button and browse to C:\Program Files\CambridgeHitachi (NB - the folder may also be named Cambridge-Hitachi or Cambridge Hitachi).
5. Click "OK".
Your Cambridge-Hitachi products should now work correctly.

To check if you have Flash Player 8 installed, right-click in a product that uses Flash. You will see a menu with "About Macromedia Flash Player X..." at the bottom. This will tell you which version of Flash you are using.

MSIs for easy deployment on your RM CC3 network (or Windows server 2000/2003 network) are now available. If you are an existing customer and you wish to obtain an MSI for Perfect Times, please email a request to techsupport@cambridge-hitachi.com with your personal/institutional information, postal address and invoice number.