Times tables are the stealth skill of primary school maths. Children who know them cold fly through fractions, division, percentages and algebra. Children who don't spend years fighting a losing battle against their own working memory. The catch: drilling times tables is notoriously dull. Here's how to teach them without the tears.
Start With Understanding, Not Memorisation
Before rote learning, make sure your child understands what multiplication means. 4 × 3 is "four groups of three" — not a magical string of digits. Use real objects: four piles of three raisins, or three rows of four Lego bricks. Skipping this step is the #1 reason children get stuck later.
Follow the "Easiest First" Order
Don't teach tables in numeric order. Teach in order of difficulty:
- 2s, 10s, 5s — easy patterns, confidence builders
- 4s, 3s — small enough to skip-count
- 6s, 9s — tricks available (9s finger trick!)
- 7s, 8s — hardest, save for last
This is how most UK primary schools sequence it, and it's how the brain prefers to learn.
Use Skip Counting Songs
Before memorising facts, have your child skip-count confidently: 4, 8, 12, 16, 20… That chant alone gets them 80% of the way to the 4 times table. There are hundreds of skip-counting songs on YouTube — pick one that's not too annoying and play it on the school run.
Play Card Games
Draw two cards from a deck. Multiply them. Whoever shouts the answer first keeps both cards. This single 10-minute game, played daily, will teach your child more than a month of worksheets.
Use Online Games for Speed Drills
Once facts are understood, children need speed. Online games are ideal because they gamify repetition: wrong answers reappear sooner, right answers reinforce retrieval speed. Try our Times Tables Challenge for focused per-table practice, or Maths Play for a mixed workout.
Teach the 9s Finger Trick
Hold up both hands. To calculate 9 × 4, fold down the fourth finger. Fingers to the left of the folded one = 3 tens. Fingers to the right = 6 ones. Answer: 36. It works for every multiplication 9 × 1 through 9 × 10. Children LOVE this trick and it builds confidence.
Print a Times Tables Grid
Stick a times tables grid on the fridge. Let your child tick off facts as they learn them. Visible progress is highly motivating. Our multiplication worksheets include printable grids you can use.
Short, Daily, Forever
Five minutes a day beats 30 minutes on Sunday. Memory works on spaced repetition — little and often. Pick a time (breakfast, car journey, bath) and stick to it.
Celebrate Milestones
When your child masters the 7s — the hardest table — make a genuine fuss. A small reward or even just loud parental delight reinforces the effort and makes the next table easier to tackle.
A Final Word on Pressure
Times tables matter, but they're not a character test. Some children take a year; some take a week. Stay calm, keep it fun, and remember: every adult you know eventually learned their 7 times table. Yours will too.