How to teach the times tables

Grade 2 to Grade 5

The times tables are the multiplication facts from 1 to 12. Quick recall frees up working memory for harder problems.

How to teach it

1. Practise one table at a time until recall is automatic.
2. Use skip counting to build each table.
3. Highlight patterns (the 9s trick, doubling for the 4s and 8s).
4. Mix tables once individual ones are secure, and time short quizzes for fluency.

Common mistakes

• Learning by rote without the underlying pattern.
• Practising all tables at once before any is secure.
• Confusing adjacent facts (7x8 vs 7x7).