How to learn the times tables: an honest approach that works
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The fastest way to learn the times tables is 5 to 10 minutes of practice every day, starting with the easy tables (1, 2, 5, and 10) and ending with the hard ones (7, 8, and 9). Mix saying them out loud, short timed quizzes, and per-table tricks. Most children need 2 to 4 months to know all the tables up to 10 fluently.
What "knowing the tables" actually means
Knowing the tables means the answer comes to you without calculating. Not working out 7 × 8 as 7 × 7 + 7, but 56 just appearing. That is called automaticity, and it is what schools are eventually testing for.
Getting there takes repetition. A lot of repetition. A child who can rattle off the 7 times table on Friday will have lost half of it by Monday. That is not a problem. It is how the brain works.
The right order
Do not start at 1 and end at 10. Start with the easy tables and build up. A child who feels quick wins keeps practising.
- 1 times table — barely a table, but it teaches the idea of multiplying
- 10 times table — add a zero, done
- 2 times table — doubling
- 5 times table — answers end in 0 or 5
- 4 times table — double the double, builds on 2
- 3 times table — first one without an obvious pattern, ending in 3, 6, or 9
- 6 times table — builds on 5 (5 × X + X)
- 9 times table — has the most tricks, finally easy again
- 7 and 8 times tables — no patterns, just memorise
What "daily practice" actually looks like
Five to ten minutes a day. Not one half-hour session per week. The brain remembers much better through short repetitions than long sessions.
A workable split: 2 minutes saying the table out loud, 3 minutes on flashcards or a quick speed test, then a few mixed questions to finish. That fits between dinner and the dishes.
Tricks work, but only once the table is understood
The finger trick for the 9 times table is brilliant. The "5 + 5 + ..." route for the 6 times table is too. But tricks are a stepping stone, not the destination. A child who calculates 7 × 8 as 7 × 7 + 7 will pass the test, but is not yet automatic.
Drop the tricks the moment the answer comes by itself. Until then, they are a perfectly good crutch.
How long does it take?
With daily practice, most children know all the tables up to 10 fluently within 2 to 4 months. Faster is possible, but forcing it backfires. Children start hating the tables and tune out.
What does not work
Spending a whole evening on one table. Filling in worksheets without going over the mistakes afterwards. Rewarding good test results with money or gifts. That works in the short term and undermines motivation in the long run. Pressuring a child to be faster than another child.
And finally: shaming a child for not knowing the 7 times table yet. Almost no child gets it in one go.
How long does it take a child to learn all the times tables?+
With daily practice, usually 2 to 4 months for the tables up to 10. The hardest tables (7, 8, 9) need a few extra weeks of repetition on their own.
What is the best order to learn the times tables in?+
1, 10, 2, 5, 4, 3, 6, 9, and 7 and 8 last. Start with the tables that come quickly. Early wins give children the motivation to push through the harder ones.
How many minutes a day is enough?+
Five to ten minutes a day is enough, as long as it really happens every day. One long session per week works less well than five short ones.
What do you do when a child cannot remember a table?+
Stop forcing that table for a moment. Go back to a table that is already working, and use it as a stepping stone. The 6 times table gets easier via 5 × X + X. The 9 times table via 10 × X − X. Build on what works.
Do timed quizzes really help?+
Yes, but only once the table is roughly known. Timed quizzes automate. They make the answer come on its own. A child who is still discovering a table mostly gets frustrated under time pressure.