The fastest way to learn times tables (that actually sticks)

Quick answer

There's no magic shortcut, but the fastest reliable route has three parts: learn the tables in a smart order (0, 1, 2, 5 and 10 first), use the turn-around rule so only 21 facts of the 1–10 tables are left to learn, and practice 5–10 minutes a day, bringing missed facts back later. Common Core expects all one-digit products from memory by the end of 3rd grade.

Parents often ask for the one trick that makes times tables stick overnight. There isn't one. But there is a fastest reliable route: fewer facts than you'd expect, learned in a better order, with a few minutes of the right kind of practice each day.

How long does it take to learn times tables?

Honestly, it varies. It depends on where your child starts (do they understand that 3 × 4 means 3 groups of 4?), how often they practice and how they feel about math. Under the Common Core, used by most states, children have the whole of 3rd grade to reach the goal: by the end of the year, know from memory all products of two one-digit numbers (3.OA.C.7). Many schools add ×11 and ×12, which is common but not a Common Core requirement.

So plan in weeks, not days, and be wary of anything that promises times tables in a fixed number of days. If multiplication itself is still new, start with our step-by-step multiplication guide first.

There are fewer facts than you think

A 10 × 10 multiplication chart has 100 squares, which sounds like a lot. Watch how quickly that number shrinks:

Here is the counting, so you can check it:

• Any fact with a 1, 2, 5 or 10 in it comes from an easy table. The facts without one of those numbers use only 3, 4, 6, 7, 8 and 9. That's 6 × 6 = 36 facts, so 100 − 36 = 64 are covered by the easy tables.
• Six of those 36 are square facts (3 × 3, 4 × 4 … 9 × 9). The other 30 come in turn-around pairs like 3 × 7 and 7 × 3, so they are really 15 facts. 6 + 15 = 21.
• The ×3 and ×4 tables cover 11 of those 21: 3 × 3, 3 × 4, 3 × 6, 3 × 7, 3 × 8, 3 × 9, 4 × 4, 4 × 6, 4 × 7, 4 × 8 and 4 × 9. That leaves 10.
• The ×9 patterns cover 6 × 9, 7 × 9, 8 × 9 and 9 × 9. That leaves just 6 × 6, 6 × 7, 6 × 8, 7 × 7, 7 × 8 and 8 × 8.

Every fact off the diagonal appears twice, mirrored across the highlighted square numbers: 3 × 7 and 7 × 3 are both 21.

×	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
1	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
2	2	4	6	8	10	12	14	16	18	20
3	3	6	9	12	15	18	21	24	27	30
4	4	8	12	16	20	24	28	32	36	40
5	5	10	15	20	25	30	35	40	45	50
6	6	12	18	24	30	36	42	48	54	60
7	7	14	21	28	35	42	49	56	63	70
8	8	16	24	32	40	48	56	64	72	80
9	9	18	27	36	45	54	63	72	81	90
10	10	20	30	40	50	60	70	80	90	100

What about 0 and the 12s? Adding 0 puts 21 more squares on the chart (11 × 11 = 121), but they all follow one rule: anything times 0 is 0. On a 12 × 12 chart (144 squares), the ×11 and ×12 tables add 15 facts to the 21 above, and most follow patterns: 11 × 3 through 11 × 9 repeat the digit (33, 44 … 99), and ×12 is ×10 plus ×2 (12 × 7 = 70 + 14 = 84).

A sample 6-week plan

This is a sample plan, not a guarantee. Some children need two weeks on one row; others move faster. Move on when the current facts feel easy, and keep reviewing older facts every week.

The last few facts get their own guide: times table tricks for 6, 7 and 8.

The daily 5–10 minute routine

A practice guide from the U.S. Institute of Education Sciences recommends two things that fit times tables perfectly: space learning over time, and use quizzes to bring material back. Here's a routine that does both:

1. Warm up (1 minute). Skip count the week's table out loud: “3, 6, 9, 12…”
2. One new fact with its strategy (2 minutes). “6 × 7 is five 7s, that's 35, plus one more 7: 42.” Build it with blocks or draw an array.
3. Quick recall (3–5 minutes). Flash cards or quick questions. Mostly facts your child knows, plus a few new ones. They answer from memory first, then check.
4. Sort the cards. Quick, correct answers go in the “got it” pile; slow or wrong ones go in the “again” pile for tomorrow.
5. Stop on a win. End with a fact they know cold.

Games that make practice fly

• Multiplication war. Each player flips two playing cards and multiplies. The bigger product wins all four cards. Take out the face cards, or start with cards up to 5.
• Roll and multiply. Roll two dice, multiply, and keep a running list. Who can spot a fact that came up twice?
• Fact of the day. Stick one tricky fact on the fridge. Anyone who opens the fridge has to say it out loud.
• Skip counting catch. Toss a ball back and forth, saying the next multiple with each catch.

How to use a multiplication chart

A printable multiplication chart is a learning tool, not a crutch, if you use it in stages. First, hunt for patterns together: the ×5 column ends in 5 and 0, the ×10 column ends in 0, and the chart is mirrored across the diagonal. Next, let your child look up facts while they learn a strategy. Finally, cover rows they know with sticky notes, or fill in a blank chart from memory. The empty squares become the to-do list. On screen, our interactive multiplication chart lights up the row and column of any fact your child taps.

What to do when a fact won't stick

• Go back to a picture. Build 7 × 8 as an array of 7 rows of 8 and split it into 5 rows and 2 rows: 40 + 16 = 56.
• Lean on a neighbor. If 6 × 8 = 48 is known, then 7 × 8 is one more 8: 56.
• Give it a hook. “5, 6, 7, 8”: 56 = 7 × 8.
• Say the whole fact, “seven times eight is fifty-six,” not just the answer.
• Shrink the set. Two or three stubborn facts at a time is plenty.
• Watch the mood. If practice brings tears, shorten it and drop the timer for a while. Our guide for when a child is struggling with math has more ideas.

Practice problems

A mixed set in the order above. Ask your child to say the strategy for any fact they don't know instantly.

Mixed times table practice (with answers)

1. 2 × 8 = ?
2. 5 × 7 = ?
3. 10 × 6 = ?
4. 3 × 6 = ?
5. 4 × 7 = ?
6. 9 × 7 = ?
7. 6 × 8 = ?
8. 7 × 7 = ?
9. 8 × 4 = ?
10. 6 × 6 = ?
11. 7 × 8 = ?
12. 12 × 3 = ?

Show answers

For printed practice, grab our free multiplication worksheets.

Frequently asked questions

What is the fastest way to learn times tables?

Learn the easy tables first (0, 1, 2, 5, 10), use the turn-around rule so each fact counts twice, and teach a strategy for every harder fact, such as ×4 is double-double. Then practice 5–10 minutes a day, answering from memory and bringing missed facts back a day or a few days later. Small, frequent practice is faster than cramming.

How long does it take to learn times tables?

There's no fixed number of days, and it varies a lot from child to child. It depends on whether your child understands what multiplication means, how often they practice and how they feel about math. The Common Core gives children all of 3rd grade to know the one-digit products from memory, so plan in weeks and months, not days.

How do I learn multiplication tables 1 to 12 fast?

Use the same approach. A 12 × 12 chart has 144 facts, but once the 1, 2, 5 and 10 tables and the turn-around rule are known, only 36 are left, and many follow patterns: 11 × 3 through 11 × 9 repeat the digit (33, 44 … 99), and ×12 is ×10 plus ×2. The ×11 and ×12 tables are common but not required by the Common Core.

What order should kids learn times tables in?

A good order is 0, 1, 2, 5 and 10 first, then 3 and 4, then 9 and 6, and finally 7 and 8. Each new table builds on one your child already knows: ×4 is double ×2, ×6 is ×5 plus one more group, and ×9 is ×10 minus one group.

Are timed tests the fastest way to learn times tables?

Short timed activities can help build fluency. A federal practice guide on helping students who struggle with math recommends them as one way to build fluency, not the only way. They work best after your child has strategies, and when the goal is beating their own score. If timing causes stress, drop it for a while and focus on accuracy.

What if my child keeps forgetting the same multiplication facts?

That's normal. Work on only two or three stubborn facts at a time. Give each one a picture (an array), a link to a fact they know (7 × 8 is 6 × 8 plus one more 8) or a memory hook (5, 6, 7, 8: 56 = 7 × 8), and bring it back every day until it's quick, then every few days.

Sources

• Common Core State Standards: Grade 3, Operations & Algebraic Thinking — CCSSI
• Organizing Instruction and Study to Improve Student Learning (practice guide) — Institute of Education Sciences, What Works Clearinghouse
• Assisting Students Struggling with Mathematics: Intervention in the Elementary Grades (practice guide) — Institute of Education Sciences, What Works Clearinghouse

Written by The Mathing Team for parents and teachers. Grade expectations follow the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics; your state or school may sequence skills a little differently.