™
Back
How to help your child learn their times tables
3 November 2026 · Times tables, Key Stage 2
Times tables are one of the biggest jumps in primary maths, and knowing them well makes fractions, division, area and algebra much smoother later on. By the end of Year 4, children are expected to know all the tables up to 12 × 12.
Start with the pattern, not the chant
A table is a pattern of equal groups. Four threes is four groups of three, which is also three groups of four. Drawing arrays, with rows of dots, shows that the order doesn't matter and halves the number of facts to learn.
Use the easy tables as anchors
- 2s are doubles, and 4s are double doubles.
- 5s and 10s end in 5 or 0, and 10s are just a zero on the end.
- 9s have a pattern: the digits of the answer add up to 9.
- If you know 6 × 7 is 42, then 7 × 6 is too.
Practise little and often
A few minutes a day beats a long session. Mix the tables up, and spend more time on the facts that are slow, not on the ones that are already quick.
Keep it light
Pressure makes recall harder. A friendly timed round can be fun, but it shouldn't become a test of nerves. Celebrate facts that become quick.
On quarter, the times tables area fills in a grid as facts become quick and keeps coming back to the tricky ones, with an optional timed check when they feel ready.