Primary Maths: How to teach times tables
Here is a way to help children who are having trouble learning tables.
Start with the ones table. When they know that, start the twos table. They already know 2×1 so explain 1×2 is the same so they don’t have to learn it. This reinforces the commutative property of multiplication that it doesn’t matter in which order numbers are multiplied the product is the same. This principle continues until children only need to concentrate on half the original tables.
| 1×1= 1 | |||||||||
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| 2×1= 2 | 2×2= 4 | ||||||||
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| 3×1= 3 | 3×2= 6 | 3×3= 9 | |||||||
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| 4×1= 4 | 4×2= 8 | 4×3=12 | 4×4=16 | ||||||
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| 5×1= 5 | 5×2=10 | 5×3=15 | 5×4=20 | 5×5=25 | |||||
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| 6×1= 6 | 6×2=12 | 6×3=18 | 6×4=24 | 6×5=30 | 6×6=36 | ||||
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| 7×1= 7 | 7×2=14 | 7×3=21 | 7×4=28 | 7×5=35 | 7×6=42 | 7×7=49 | |||
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| 8×1= 8 | 8×2=16 | 8×3=24 | 8×4=32 | 8×5=40 | 8×6=48 | 8×7=56 | 8×8=64 | ||
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| 9×1= 9 | 9×2=18 | 9×3=27 | 9×4=36 | 9×5=45 | 9×6=54 | 9×7=63 | 9×8=72 | 9×9=81 | |
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| 10×1=10 | 10×2=20 | 10×3=30 | 10×4=40 | 10×5=50 | 10×6=60 | 10×7=70 | 10×8=80 | 10×9=90 | 10×10=100 |
Children tend to know the tables up to the fives table, and the tens table, so they are usually only left with the sixes, sevens, eights and nines to learn, that is, ten tables, which is far less daunting than 100 tables.
In addition, if children know the square numbers, it provides yet another strategy for them in learning tables.
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1×1 = 11² = 1 |
2×2 = 42² = 4 |
3×3 = 93² = 9 |
4×4 = 164² = 16 |
5×5 = 255² = 25 |
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6×6 = 366² = 36 |
7×7 = 497² = 49 |
8×8 = 648² = 64 |
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9×9 = 819² = 81 |
10×10 = 10010² = 100 |
Doubling can also be useful for some children.
e.g.
8×4=32 therefore 8×8=64
7×3=21 therefore 7×6=42