How to help your child master times tables without tears
Every parent knows times tables are important. What most do not know is that the way children learn them decides whether the process takes months of misery or a few calm weeks. Here is the order and the techniques that actually work.
Rule one: meaning before memorisation
A child who does not understand what 4 × 3 means is memorising nonsense sounds. Before any drilling, make sure your child can show you the idea: 4 × 3 is four groups of three. Have them build it with counters, draw it as an array, or make it with biscuits. Once the meaning is concrete, the fact has somewhere to live.
Learn the tables in the right order
Not all tables are equally hard. The smart order is:
- 0s and 1s — instantly explained (zero groups, one group).
- 2s, 5s and 10s — skip counting your child already knows.
- 3s and 4s — doubling and adding on.
- 6s, 7s, 8s and 9s — the "tricky" ones, saved for last with special tricks.
Tricks for the tricky facts
- The nines trick: 9 × 6 — the tens digit is one less than 6 (5), and the digits add to 9, so the answer is 54.
- Near squares: 7 × 7 = 49, so 7 × 8 is 49 + 7 = 56.
- Break it apart: 6 × 8 = (5 × 8) + 8 = 40 + 8 = 48.
- Use the commutative property: if 6 × 8 is hard, try 8 × 6 — same answer, and learning one fact gives you two.
A daily routine that does not hurt
Five minutes a day beats an hour once a week. The routine that works for most families:
- One minute of skip counting aloud.
- Three minutes of facts, with the tricks above as allowed tools.
- One minute of reviewing the previous week’s tables.
Keep it short enough that your child always wants one more round — not one less.
Use the game as the drill partner
The multiplication mode in our game generates unlimited fresh facts at three difficulty levels, so drill never turns into a pile of identical worksheets. Children earn streaks and badges for consistency, not for speed alone. Try a multiplication round or read our full guide to how multiplication works.
In what order should children learn times tables?
The smart order is: 0s and 1s first, then 2s, 5s and 10s (skip counting the child already knows), then 3s and 4s, and finally the tricky 6s, 7s, 8s and 9s with their special tricks.
How much times-table practice should a child do each day?
Five focused minutes a day beats an hour once a week. A good routine is one minute of skip counting, three minutes of facts and one minute reviewing the previous week's tables.
What is the trick for the 9 times table?
For 9 × 6, the tens digit is one less than 6 (so 5), and the digits of the answer always add to 9, so the units digit is 9 − 5 = 4 — the answer is 54. Children love this because it feels like a magic trick.