How to Learn Times Tables: A Simple Step-by-Step Plan

Almost every child finds some times tables hard, usually the 6s, 7s and 8s. The good news is that it is rarely about ability. Children who get stuck have usually been asked to memorise facts they don't yet understand, in an order that doesn't build on itself, in long sessions that are quickly forgotten. Fix those three things and times tables become far more manageable.

Step 1: Does your child understand what multiplication means?

Before memorising anything, a child should be able to explain that 3 × 4 means "3 groups of 4". The easiest way to see this is with objects: three plates with four grapes on each, or a grid of dots with 3 rows of 4. Our multiplication visualiser draws these dot arrays for any fact, so your child can see that 3 × 4 and 4 × 3 make the same rectangle, just turned round.

This matters more than it looks. A child who understands that 7 × 8 is "7 groups of 8" can rebuild the answer from a fact they do know: 7 × 8 is 5 × 8 (40) plus 2 × 8 (16), which is 56. A child who only memorised a chant has nothing to fall back on.

Step 2: What order should the tables be learnt in?

Learn them in an order where each new table leans on one already known. A good sequence is:

1. 10, 2 and 5: the patterns are obvious (0s, even numbers, 5s and 0s).
2. 4 and 8: double the 2s to get the 4s, double again for the 8s.
3. 3 and 6: the 6s are double the 3s.
4. 9 and 11: both have strong patterns and tricks.
5. 7 and 12: by now most of these facts are already known from other tables.

We explain the reasoning in more detail in what order to learn times tables in.

Step 3: How should you practise?

This is where most families go wrong: not through lack of effort, but through long, infrequent sessions. Memory research is clear that short, spaced practice beats cramming. Aim for:

• 5–10 minutes a day, ideally at the same time (after breakfast, or in the car).
• Mixed questions, not always in order. Reciting 1 × 7, 2 × 7, 3 × 7 lets a child count up instead of remembering.
• More time on the hard facts. There's no point drilling 2 × 5 again if 7 × 8 is the problem.
• Calm, then quick. Accuracy first; speed follows once facts are secure.

Our smart practice does the sorting for you: it keeps track of every single fact, brings back the ones your child finds hard, and spaces out the ones they know. If you prefer to focus on one table, use times table practice instead.

Step 4: How do you know a table is really learnt?

A table is learnt when your child can answer any fact from it, in any order, within about three seconds, without counting, and can still do it a week later. If they need to count up from 7 × 5 every time, they understand it but haven't memorised it yet. That's normal, and it's exactly what regular practice fixes.

What if my child finds one table really hard?

Every table has a trick or a pattern. The 9s finger trick, the double-double-double rule for 8s and splitting the 7s into 5s and 2s all help. Tricks are a bridge, though, not the destination. The aim is still instant recall.

Ways to keep it fun

Variety keeps children coming back. Mix practice with times table games, a printed times table chart on the fridge, and a few games you can play at home with dice or cards. Praise effort and progress ("you got 7 × 8 today!") rather than speed.