How to teach the times tables easily — a proven 5-step method

The most effective method for teaching the times tables combines three principles: a learning order from easy to hard (2, 5, 10 → 3, 4, 8 → 6, 7, 9 → 11, 12), short and consistent practice of 10 minutes a day instead of long marathons, and games that turn dry memorising into an enjoyable experience. Children who learn this way reach fluency within 6–8 weeks — without the tears that turn the times tables into a family nightmare.

At what age do you start teaching the times tables?

In schools in England the times tables enter the national curriculum in Year 2 (the 2, 5 and 10 times tables), continue in Year 3 (3, 4 and 8) and are completed in Year 4 (6, 7, 9, 11 and 12), when every child sits the multiplication tables check (MTC) in June. Chronological age matters less than mathematical readiness — there are 6-year-olds who are completely ready, and 9-year-olds who still need to strengthen the foundations before setting off.

The real test of readiness is not age but two basic abilities: does the child understand that multiplication is really repeated addition (3 × 4 is exactly the same as 4 + 4 + 4), and are they confident with addition and subtraction up to 20 without counting on their fingers. Without those two foundations, the times tables become blind memorising rather than understanding — and that is what makes children forget after a fortnight.

If your child is not yet confident with addition, it is fine to wait and strengthen that first. Two or three weeks of addition and subtraction practice before starting multiplication will save a lot of frustration later. On the other hand, if your child asks to learn on their own ('what's 3 times 3?') — that is a green light to start through play, even before Year 2.

What is the right order for learning the tables?

One of the most common mistakes is teaching the tables in numerical order — first ×1, then ×2, ×3 and so on up to ×12. It looks logical on paper, but pedagogically it is not the most effective route. The right order is by difficulty, not by number — and it happens to be very close to the order the national curriculum uses.

Why start with group 1? Because each of these tables rests on a pattern the child already knows. The 2 times table is simply counting in twos — 2, 4, 6, 8 — something most children have already done in Reception. The 10 times table is the easiest of all: just put a zero on the end of the number. And the 5 times table always ends in 0 or 5, a pattern that is very easy to spot and remember by heart. When a child starts with these tables, they experience quick success, and build a feeling of 'I can do this' before reaching the real challenge.

Then move on to 3, 4 and 8, because they are built directly on what has already been learnt. The 4 times table is really the 2 times table doubled — anyone who knows that 2 × 6 = 12 can fairly easily deduce that 4 × 6 = 24 (just double it), and 8 × 6 = 48 (double again). The 3 times table needs a bit more work, but it can be built up gradually: 3 × 1, 3 × 2, 3 × 3 … each number is just 3 more than the one before, and most children already manage that simple addition.

Group 3 — the 6, 7 and 9 times tables — comes last for a good reason: it is the most demanding group for memory, because it has no single simple visual pattern that fits every number. But there is a hidden advantage here: when the child reaches this stage, they already know all the other tables. Thanks to the commutative law (the order of the factors does not matter), 6 × 7 is the same as 7 × 6 — so in practice only a handful of genuinely 'new' facts remain to learn, not dozens. That significantly reduces the cognitive load at exactly the hardest stage. The 11 and 12 times tables, which the MTC also tests, are then quick wins.

The 5 steps in detail

Here is a structured method, step by step, that you can use at home with no previous teaching experience:

1. Step 1 — understanding before memorising (2–3 days): before you start memorising at all, make sure your child understands what multiplication is. Use real objects — buttons, Lego bricks, chocolate eggs. Arrange 3 rows of 4 buttons and ask 'how many buttons are there altogether?'. Let your child count, then show that this is exactly what 3 × 4 means.
2. Step 2 — one table at a time, in order of difficulty (roughly a week per table): start with ×2, learn it until it is automatic, and only then move on to ×5. Do not teach two new tables in the same week — it confuses and dilutes memory.
3. Step 3 — short daily practice of 10 minutes: not an hour, not half an hour — just 10 minutes, but every day. Best in the evening, close to bedtime, because the brain consolidates memories during sleep. Ask in random order, not in the order of the table — otherwise the child learns to recite a sequence, not to multiply.
4. Step 4 — games and making it an experience: at least 2–3 times a week, swap the flashcards for a game. Roll two dice and multiply, race against the timer, or use an interactive times-table grid. A game produces dopamine and a positive memory — exactly what is needed for the child to want to come back tomorrow.
5. Step 5 — random, mixed testing (from the third week on): once the child knows a few tables, test them mixed up — not one table in sequence, but questions from every table learnt so far, in completely random order. That is the real test of fluency, not the ability to recite a whole table — and it is exactly what the Year 4 multiplication tables check does: 25 random questions, 6 seconds each.

Which tricks help with the hard tables?

The 6, 7, 8 and 9 times tables are the ones that cause most of the confusion, especially facts like 7 × 8, 6 × 7 and 9 × 6. Here are some genuine tricks that help children remember them, not just memorise:

The 9 times table on your fingers

This is the trick children love most, because it looks like magic. Put both hands on the table with all ten fingers spread out. To work out 9 times any number N (from 1 to 10), fold down finger number N, counting from left to right. For example, to work out 9 × 4: fold down the fourth finger (on the left hand). To the left of the folded finger there are 3 fingers standing — those are the tens. To the right of the folded finger there are 6 fingers standing — those are the ones. The answer: 36. Exactly the same for any number: for 9 × 7, fold down the seventh finger — 6 fingers remain on the left (60) and 3 on the right (3) = 63.

Another trick for the 9 times table: the digits of every answer in the 9 times table always add up to 9. 9 × 3 = 27 (2 + 7 = 9), 9 × 6 = 54 (5 + 4 = 9), 9 × 8 = 72 (7 + 2 = 9). You can use this as a quick check — if the answer does not add up to 9, there is probably a mistake.

Tricks for the 6, 7 and 8 times tables

• 6 × 7 = 42 and 7 × 8 = 56 are the most confusing facts in the whole grid. A memory anchor that helps: '5, 6, 7, 8' — notice that in 56 = 7 × 8, the numbers 5, 6, 7, 8 appear in a row! That is an excellent way to remember it.
• To work out 8 × N — double three times in a row (because 8 = 2 × 2 × 2). For example 8 × 6: 6 → 12 → 24 → 48. It is slower than direct recall, but it always works as a back-up.
• To work out 7 × N when it is hard — split it into 5 × N plus 2 × N. For example 7 × 6 = (5 × 6) + (2 × 6) = 30 + 12 = 42. Both parts are already easy for the child because they come from tables learnt earlier.
• 6 × 6 = 36 — a simple memory trick: 'six times six is thirty-six', a rhyme that is easy to remember out loud.

How long should it take?

With consistent practice of 10 minutes a day, in the right order and with games, most children reach full fluency in all the multiplication facts up to 12 × 12 within 6–8 weeks. That includes the whole process — from understanding the concept to being able to answer within seconds in completely random order.

It is important to understand that this is an average, not a binding norm. Children progress at different rates — some will finish within a month, and some will need ten weeks or more, especially if there is an accompanying difficulty with working memory or there have been negative experiences with maths before. The first two weeks (group 1) are usually the fastest, because the patterns are clear. The last weeks (group 3) are usually the slowest — and that is normal and expected, not a sign that something is not working.

An important point: fluency does not end at week 8. Even after the child 'knows' the tables, maintenance practice is needed — 5 minutes once or twice a week for a few more months, otherwise there is a natural slide, mainly in the hard tables. Holidays (like the summer) are a good opportunity for light practice that prevents forgetting — and in Year 4, the run-up to the June multiplication tables check is the time to bring the speed up to 6 seconds a question.

Common mistakes parents make

Most parents who make these mistakes do so out of genuine concern, not carelessness. But some approaches damage exactly what you are trying to achieve:

• Practising too intensively — sessions of half an hour to an hour at a stretch, because 'we need to get through it'. That creates mental fatigue and actually lowers performance. 10 minutes a day is far better than a weekly marathon.
• Skipping the games — an attitude of 'this isn't time for games, it's time to learn'. In fact, play is one of the most effective learning tools at this age, not a diversion from it. A child who learns only through questions on a page loses interest much faster.
• The wrong learning order — insisting on teaching in numerical order (1, 2, 3 …) instead of by difficulty. That makes the child get stuck too early on the hard tables before building confidence.
• Comparing children — 'your big brother knew this in Year 1!'. Comparisons damage motivation and add performance anxiety that makes memorising even harder.
• Testing in a fixed order — always asking 1 × 7, 2 × 7, 3 × 7 in sequence. The child learns the sequence, not the multiplication itself. Always mix up the order of the questions.

Frequently asked questions

A few of the questions parents ask most often about teaching the times tables:

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