By remembering that 4 groups of 4 are 16, you speed up your counting.
That is what times tables are all about.
And there is good news.
There are shortcuts that make the facts easier to learn.
The biggest shortcuts
Three facts you get almost for free
× 0
always 0
× 1
stays the same
× 10
count in tens
7 × 0 = 0 · 7 × 1 = 7 · 7 × 10 = 70
Core idea · ×2
What does doubling mean?
Multiplying by 2 means having twice as many.
5 → two copies → 10
Try both ways ↓
2 × 5 = 5 + 5 = 10
Different ways to think. Same answer.
Have a try
Just ×0, ×1 and ×2
2 × 7
This counts towards your Times Tables Recall progress.
📝 Learning stage: use paper, a whiteboard or a chalkboard if it helps. Work things out. This is practice for understanding — not a test of instant recall.
Stop here if you need to.
Stay with these facts until they feel comfortable. You do not need to rush on.
Next table · The 5s
Two useful ways to think about ×5
Quick and easy: count in 5s
5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30...
The answers always end in 5 or 0.
A method worth learning
×10, then divide by 2
5 × 8
8 × 10 = 80
halve 80
40
Keep this method.
It becomes especially useful later, when you multiply much larger numbers by 5.
Have a try
Now ×5 and ×10
5 × 8
This counts towards your Times Tables Recall progress.
📝 Learning stage: use paper, a whiteboard or a chalkboard if it helps. Work things out. This is practice for understanding — not a test of instant recall.
This can be a separate step.
Stay here for a while. Move on when ×5 and ×10 are starting to feel familiar.
Look how far you have come
⅓
That is already about a third!
You have met ×1, ×2, ×5 and ×10 — four of the twelve core tables.
Nice work 🎉
Next step · The 3s
Speaking of 3s...
Here is the first times table where you really have to get your hands dirty.
Literally. Get some objects in your hands and start making groups of 3.
3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18...
Move 3 at a time. Count 3 at a time.
Use anything you can hold.
Counters, Lego, beads, crayons, pasta — whatever is nearby.
Have a try
Just the 3s
3 × 7
This counts towards your Times Tables Recall progress.
📝 Learning stage: use paper, a whiteboard or a chalkboard if it helps. Work things out. This is practice for understanding — not a test of instant recall.
Stay here for a while.
Keep practising the 3s until the rhythm starts to feel familiar.
Want to just memorise them?
Some people feel quite comfortable learning each times-table row on its own. That is absolutely fine.
If that works for you, you can jump straight to Times Tables Recall in Practice Lab and practise until the facts start to stick.
Tap a number on the left, then one across the top.
Pick a row, then a column.
×
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
20
22
24
3
6
9
12
15
18
21
24
27
30
33
36
4
8
12
16
20
24
28
32
36
40
44
48
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
55
60
6
12
18
24
30
36
42
48
54
60
66
72
7
14
21
28
35
42
49
56
63
70
77
84
8
16
24
32
40
48
56
64
72
80
88
96
9
18
27
36
45
54
63
72
81
90
99
108
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
110
120
11
22
33
44
55
66
77
88
99
110
121
132
12
24
36
48
60
72
84
96
108
120
132
144
Help us improve
What did you think?
Whether you explored this together or worked independently, we would love
to hear from both learners and parents. Tell us what you enjoyed,
what was confusing, or what you would like to see next.
Share your feedback
The form is short and you do not need to give your name.
We use cookies to make the site work and to understand how it is used. You can accept optional cookies, reject them, or choose your preferences. You can change your choice later.
Functional
Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes.The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
