A parents' guide to helping your child learn times tables
Times tables (also known as multiplication tables or facts) can be learned so that they come to mind quickly and easily. In this article, I'm going to look into the easiest ways of learning times tables, help you identify where your child stands in terms of memorising the tables, and provide some useful tips on the best ways to teach times tables to kids.
So, let's start learning tables
Think of the times tables as a daunting climbing wall - when you're a first-timer standing at the foot looking up, it's scary, but once you start making a few hand and foot holds it gets much easier.
This diagram shows the 81 times tables multiplication facts that every child needs commit to memory. (We'll leave out the 11 and 12 times tables for now.)
Children need to be able to recall any times tables answer within two or three seconds, preferably faster. That leaves no time for counting up to the answer - the answer has to pop out of their memory pretty much instantly.
It sounds harsh but this level of 'number fluency' is the ideal foundation for any child. So how do we get there?
What is the best order to learn the times tables?
The key to memorising times tables is learning them in the right order. We start with the easy tables to build confidence and a good foundation - the easy times tables are the 10, 2 and 5 times tables.
Begin with the 10 times tables because they follow a simple, predictable pattern - the answer is always just adding a zero onto the number.
Next, move on to the two times tables, which are familiar because of doubling, because they are all the even numbers, and because the skip-counting just chants so well: '2, 4, 6, 8, who do we appreciate?'
Tackle the 5 times tables next - they are straightforward because they always end in a 0 or a 5 (which makes it easy to identify multiples of 5,) and because the answers are always half of the 10 times table.
There's some debate as to which are easiest from here, but the 4 times tables and 9 times tables are usually next. The 4 times tables are simply doubles of the 2 times tables and the 9 times tables have a few shortcuts to help you learn them.
After this you could do the 3 times tables followed by the 6 times tables. Then finish with the 8 times tables and the 7 times tables, which are generally regarded as the most difficult.
The 11 and 12 multiplication tables should be learned last and separately (even though the 11 times table is really a doddle!)
Language and times tables
There are many different ways to say the tables and they're all correct. However, it helps if you're consistent and if you adopt the language your child already uses at school. For example, some options are:
three times eight is …
three multiplied by eight is…
three eights are …
three lots of eight are…
Be aware of what way your child is being taught in school, and start by saying the tables in that way to avoid confusion.
What are the steps for learning times tables quickly and easily?
Start by saying the tables aloud in order.
Then write them out slowly in order.
Next, work on getting just the answers in order, either on paper or verbally with your child.
Finally, practice completing the answers in a random order.
What are the tips and tricks for learning the times tables?
- Remember that the 2, 4 and 8 times tables are doubles of each other, with many common answers, eg:
2 x 8 = 16
4 x 4 = 16
8 x 2 = 16 A tip for learning the nine times tables is to use the ten times tables and work backwards. So for 5 x 9, think 5 times 10, take away 5. So 50 - 5 = 45.
Another tip for double checking the nine times table is that the digits in the answer always add up to 9.
Allow more time to learn times tables that kids tend to find tricky, like 3, 6, and 7.
The 7 times tables are notoriously hard, but by this stage you should have done the other tables, and so will have encountered most of the 7s already, such as 7 x 4 = 28, and 7 x 3 = 21.
7 x 8 = 56 is the hardest times table! But if you tell this to your child and make a big deal about it, they'll never forget it!
Things to remember when teaching your child to memorise the times tables
Learn one times table at a time to minimise confusion
Keep reminding your child that 3 x 4 is the same as 4 x 3 - this effectively halves the number of tables facts.
Each times table has a square number, 3 x 3, 7 x 7, etc. (See the red numbers in the tables grid above.) These are special "hand or foot holds" that can act as memory hooks - emphasize them!
Talk about the numbers are you encounter them: "5 x 8 = 40; that's mummy's age," "3 x 6 = 18; that's our house number." This makes more hooks for the memory to latch on to which makes recall easier and faster.
When you're trying to speed up how fast your child can recall the times tables, it's time to introduce some times tables games.
How many tables does your child need to learn?
If it all feels a bit overwhelming, here's a great video demonstrating that there are only actually 38 individual times tables facts that your child needs to learn.
It makes sense to take stock of where your child is with tables before trying to help them. To do this, we've developed a unique new times tables quiz that identifies exactly where to start.
Take the Free Kickstart Tables Quiz
- in just 10 minutes you'll have a times tables progress report.
Kickstart will let you know which times tables your child knows and which they have still to master, so that you can work on the weaker areas.
Mastering the Times Tables
You can know all the times tables without really going on to master them. So once your child has learned the times tables individually the next stage involves practising recalling them quickly in any random order.
The practice can be verbal or written but either way you're looking for accurate answers within 3 seconds. Mastering arithmetic is what Komodo is all about - it harnesses little and often learning which is considered the most effective and rewarding way to help your child master numeracy.
I'm Ged, Co-founder of Komodo, ex-maths teacher and dad. If you have any questions please get in touch.
About Komodo - Komodo is a fun and effective way to boost primary maths skills. Designed for 4 to 11 year olds to use in the home, Komodo uses a little and often approach to learning maths (20 minutes, 3 to 5 times per week) that fits into the busy routine. Komodo users develop fluency and confidence in maths - without keeping them at the screen for long.
And now we've got Komodo English too - check it out here.
