Learn multiplication the easy way (without tears)
The times tables are the single most useful thing a child memorises in primary school. Every later subject — fractions, percentages, division, algebra, even physics — leans on them. The good news is they're far more learnable when you stop trying to teach all of them at once.
Teach them in this order
- ×2 and ×10 — these come almost for free. ×2 is "double it"; ×10 is "stick a 0 on it".
- ×5 — count in fives, like a clock.
- ×4 (= ×2 twice) — once ×2 is automatic, ×4 follows.
- ×3 and ×6 (= ×3 twice) — slightly harder; spend more time here.
- ×9 — has the famous "fingers" trick (see below) and a digit-sum pattern.
- ×11 — for 1–9 just write the digit twice (3×11=33).
- ×7, ×8, ×12 — the famously tricky ones. By this point, only ~15 unique facts remain because of commutativity.
Tricks that actually stick
×9 finger trick
Hold up 10 fingers. To compute 9 × n, fold down the nth finger from the left. The fingers before it are the tens digit; the fingers after are the ones digit. Try it for 9×4 and 9×7 — it works every time up to 9×10.
Doubling
Anything ×4 is ×2 twice. Anything ×8 is ×2 three times. Anything ×6 is ×3 twice (or ×2 then ×3). Doubling is a powerful shortcut because kids learn ×2 quickly.
Commutativity halves the work
Once you've learned 7×8, you've also learned 8×7. Out of the 100 facts in the standard 1–10 table there are only 55 unique pairs.
How to practise without it being a slog
Five minutes a day, every day, beats half an hour on Sunday. Two free tools we built for exactly this:
- Multiplication Table — prints clean reference sheets (1×1 up to 12×12) and has a built-in quiz mode that focuses on whichever table you choose.
- Math Quiz — randomised questions across operations, with a per-question timer for when recall needs to become reflex.
The "stretch" rule
Aim for 90% accuracy at their current pace, then turn the timer on. If accuracy drops below 70%, the timer is too tight and they'll start guessing. Drop it back, build confidence, push again.
Celebrate the milestones
The first time they recall 7×8 = 56 without counting on their fingers, make a fuss. Print a fresh table from the tool and put a tick next to every fact they've nailed. Visual progress is motivating.
What about division?
Division is just the times tables backwards. Once 7×8 = 56 is solid, 56 ÷ 8 = 7 is automatic. Don't teach division as a separate skill until the times tables are reasonably fluent.
Ready? Pick a table to print, or start a quick quiz.