Times tables are easiest to learn in a smart order — starting with the tables that have obvious patterns — with understanding first and speed second, and with a few minutes of practice every day rather than long sessions. Here’s the order, the tricks for each table, and a ten-minute daily routine.
Understanding before memorising
Before drilling, make sure your child knows what multiplication means: 3 × 4 is three groups of four. Use objects — buttons, sweets, Lego — to make groups, and arrays (rows and columns of dots). A child who understands can work out a fact they’ve forgotten; a child who only memorised is stuck.
The easiest order to learn them
- × 1 and × 10 — the number stays the same, or gets a zero on the end.
- × 2 — doubling.
- × 5 — always ends in 0 or 5; half of × 10.
- × 4 — double, then double again.
- × 3 and × 6 — × 6 is double × 3.
- × 9 — the finger trick and the digit pattern.
- × 8 — double × 4.
- × 7 — fewest new facts by now.
- × 11 and × 12 if your child’s school includes them.
Tricks that halve the work
- Turnarounds: 3 × 7 is the same as 7 × 3. Once children see this, there are far fewer facts to learn.
- × 9 finger trick: hold up ten fingers; for 9 × 4, fold down the fourth finger. Three fingers to the left (3), six to the right (6): 36.
- × 9 pattern: the digits of the answer add up to 9 (18, 27, 36…), and the tens digit is one less than the number you multiplied by.
- × 5: half of the × 10 answer.
- × 4 and × 8: keep doubling.
- × 11 (up to 9): repeat the digit — 11 × 6 = 66.
- Square numbers (3 × 3, 4 × 4…) are worth learning as a set — they anchor the facts around them.
The ten-minute daily routine
- 2 minutes: recap the table they already know.
- 4 minutes: today’s table — say it, build it, spot the pattern.
- 3 minutes: mixed quick-fire questions.
- 1 minute: pick the two trickiest facts for tomorrow.
Little and often beats long sessions. Car journeys and queues are perfect for quick-fire practice.
Games that make it fun
- Times table snap with cards showing questions and answers.
- Dice multiplication: roll two dice, multiply, first to answer wins a point.
- Beat your time: ten questions against a timer, trying to beat yesterday.
- Times table bingo.
- Skip-counting while jumping or throwing a ball.
When a child really struggles
- Go back to objects and arrays — understanding may be missing.
- Focus on fewer facts at a time; master them before adding more.
- Use turnarounds and patterns so they can work facts out.
- Keep it calm and short; anxiety blocks recall.
- Talk to the teacher if progress is very slow despite regular practice.
Common mistakes
- Drilling before understanding.
- Learning tables only in order (2, 4, 6…) — children need to answer facts out of order too.
- Long, stressful sessions.
- Comparing with classmates’ speed.
Frequently asked questions
What order should times tables be taught?
A common order is 1, 10, 2, 5, 4, 3, 6, 9, 8, 7, then 11 and 12 if needed — starting with the tables with the clearest patterns.
How long does it take to learn times tables?
It varies widely. With a few minutes of practice most days, many children make steady progress over months rather than weeks.
What is the easiest way to learn the 7 times table?
Use turnarounds — by the time you reach 7, most facts are already known from other tables. Focus on the few remaining facts, such as 7 × 7, 7 × 8 and 7 × 6.
Are times tables still important?
Yes. Quick recall frees up working memory for harder maths like fractions, division and algebra.
Next steps
Find out which tables your child knows already, start the ten-minute routine tomorrow, and pick one game for the weekend. For wider maths support, see how to help your child with maths at home.