Times tables, with a way to work them out
Use the facts you know to rebuild the ones you forget.
Start from an anchor
You do not have to recall every fact instantly to solve a multiplication question. The 2, 5, and 10 times tables can help you work out other facts. For 7 × 8, split 7 into 5 + 2. Five eights are 40, two eights are 16, and 40 + 16 = 56.
Use ten for the nines
For 9 × 7, first find 10 × 7 = 70. You have one group of 7 too many, so subtract 7: 63. This works for any number multiplied by 9. For 9 × 12, use 120 − 12 = 108.
Double your way to four and eight
Four times a number is twice its double. For 4 × 6, double 6 to get 12, then double 12 to get 24. Double once more for 8 × 6 = 48. You can use this method even when the other number is larger than 12.
Turn the question around
Multiplication gives the same result when you swap the factors. If 8 × 7 feels unfamiliar but 7 × 8 feels easier, use the easier version. This also means that learning one fact helps you answer two differently written questions.
Practise the facts that pause you
Try 6 × 7, 8 × 9, and 12 × 4. Answers: 42, 72, and 48. If one was hard, write out a way to reconstruct it. Then come back to that fact in a later session.
Take your time with a free set of times tables questions and worked answers.
Try a practice set →