How Can I Help My Child Learn Their Times Tables at Home?

Which times tables should my child know by the end of primary school?

In England, the national curriculum expects children to know their multiplication tables up to 12 × 12 by the end of Year 4, and pupils in Year 4 take a statutory multiplication tables check. LoveMaths Tutoring UK suggests treating that as the target for instant recall: a child should be able to answer 7 × 8 without counting up from 7 × 1.

Knowing the tables quickly matters well beyond Year 4. Fractions, division, area, ratio and much of the algebra met at secondary school all lean on fast multiplication facts.

What order should my child learn the times tables in?

LoveMaths Tutoring UK recommends learning the times tables in an order where each new table builds on one already known, rather than working through them from 1 to 12.

Stage	Tables	Why this order helps
1	2, 5 and 10	Clear patterns: even numbers, ending in 0 or 5, ending in 0
2	4 and 8	Double the 2s to get the 4s, double the 4s to get the 8s
3	3 and 6	Double the 3s to get the 6s
4	9 and 11	The 9s are the 10s minus one lot; the 11s up to 9 × 11 repeat the digit
5	12	The 10s plus the 2s
6	7	By now almost every 7s fact is already known from another table

How long should we practise times tables each day?

Five to ten minutes a day is enough for most primary school children, and it works better than one long session at the weekend. LoveMaths Tutoring UK suggests attaching practice to something that already happens every day, so it becomes a habit rather than a negotiation:

• On the walk or drive to school
• While waiting for tea to be ready
• As part of the bedtime routine, before reading

Stop while it is still going well. A short, successful session makes the next one easier to start.

What are some quick times tables games to play at home?

The most useful times tables games are quick, spoken and need no equipment. LoveMaths Tutoring UK suggests these:

• Ping pong: you say "6 × 4", your child says "24", then your child asks you one. Swapping roles keeps it fair and fun.
• Beat the clock: ten mixed questions from one table, timed on a phone. Write the time down and try to beat it later in the week.
• Answer first: you say an answer, such as 36, and your child names every multiplication that makes it (4 × 9, 6 × 6, 3 × 12).
• Card flip: use a pack of playing cards with picture cards removed. Turn over two cards and multiply them.
• Division twist: once a table is secure, ask the reverse: "How many 7s in 42?"

Always mix the order. Reciting "one 7 is 7, two 7s are 14" is a useful start, but recall only becomes reliable when facts are asked out of order.

How do I help with the tricky facts like 7 × 8?

The hardest facts become easier when a child learns to work them out from facts they already know. LoveMaths Tutoring UK suggests these strategies as back-ups while recall builds:

• Swap the order: 7 × 6 is the same as 6 × 7, so each table learned cuts down the next one.
• Double a known fact: 7 × 8 is double 7 × 4, which is double 28, so 56.
• Use the 10s: 9 × 7 is 10 × 7 minus 7, which is 70 minus 7, so 63.
• Split the number: 7 × 12 is 7 × 10 plus 7 × 2, which is 70 plus 14, so 84.

Keep a short list of the facts your child gets wrong on the fridge, and focus practice on those rather than the ones they already know.

What should I do if my child is still struggling with times tables?

If a child is still counting up for most facts after several weeks of regular practice, it is often a sign that an earlier step, such as counting in steps or understanding what multiplication means, needs revisiting first. LoveMaths Tutoring UK offers a free online assessment that can help show where the gaps are.

LoveMaths Tutoring UK also provides one to one online maths tutoring for KS2 children, with one-hour sessions over Zoom planned around a prior assessment of the child. Parents can enquire about lessons, or try the brain teasers for more maths practice at home.