How to learn the times tables fast (without tears)

Knowing the times tables by heart makes fractions, division, area and algebra far easier later. The good news: most children can learn them in a few weeks of short, regular practice. Here is how.

1. Learn them in a sensible order

Start with the easy tables, then build up: 10s, 5s, 2s, then 4s (double the 2s), 3s, 9s, 11s, and last the hard ones: 6s, 7s, 8s and 12s. By then, only a handful of facts are left, because every table shares facts with the ones before it.

2. Use the mirror trick

3 × 7 and 7 × 3 are the same. Once a child knows 7 × 3, they also know 3 × 7. The multiplication chart shows this clearly: the grid is a mirror image across the diagonal. Out of 144 facts in the 12 × 12 grid, only 78 are different.

3. Spot the patterns

• 5s end in 0 or 5.
• 10s end in 0.
• 9s: the digits of the answer add up to 9 (9 × 4 = 36, and 3 + 6 = 9). On your fingers, fold down the finger for the number you are multiplying by 9: the fingers on the left are the tens, the fingers on the right are the ones.
• 11s up to 9 × 11 repeat the digit (33, 44, 55).
• Squares (1, 4, 9, 16, 25, 36 ...) sit along the diagonal of the chart.

4. Build hard facts from easy ones

If you do not know 6 × 7, use 5 × 7 = 35 and add one more 7: 42. For 8 × 7, double 4 × 7 = 28, twice, to get 56. This "derived fact" thinking is more useful than rote chanting, and it builds number sense.

5. Practise a little, often

Five minutes a day beats an hour at the weekend. Practise one new table at a time, then mix in older ones. Print a blank multiplication chart and fill it in each week, or make a fresh times tables worksheet with an answer key every day.

6. Make it a game

Games remove the pressure. Try Times Table Race, where you answer questions to move your racer past three animal bots, or Maths Meteors. For skill-by-skill practice with instant feedback, use Maths Practice.

7. Check what is missing

After a few weeks, ask for the tables in random order. Note the facts that are slow or wrong (it is usually 6 × 7, 6 × 8, 7 × 8 and 7 × 9) and practise only those. Targeted practice is quick.

Common questions

How long does it take to learn the times tables?

With five to ten minutes of daily practice, most children learn the tables up to 10 × 10 in four to six weeks and up to 12 × 12 in about eight weeks. Every child is different.

At what age should children know their times tables?

Many curricula expect the 2, 5 and 10 tables around ages 6 to 7, and all tables up to 12 × 12 by about age 9 (Year 4, Grade 3 or 4). In England, Year 4 children take a multiplication tables check.

Which times tables are the hardest?

Most children find 6 × 7, 6 × 8, 7 × 8, 7 × 9 and 8 × 9 hardest, along with the 12s. Practise those facts on their own.

Is it better to memorise or to understand?

Both. Understanding why 6 × 7 is 42 (six groups of seven) makes the fact stick, and memorising it makes later maths faster.

This guide is general information. For exams, follow your school, teacher and official exam board, and use your own judgement about what suits your child.