Home › Maths Blog › Multiplication Tables Tricks
✖️ Multiplication Tables Tricks: Learn 1–20 Fast
Tables are the foundation of almost everything a child does in maths after Class 2 — division, fractions, LCM, area, percentages. The good news: a child does not have to memorise 400 separate facts. With a handful of patterns, most of the work disappears.
Start by shrinking the job
Multiplication works both ways: 7 × 8 is the same as 8 × 7. That single idea (the commutative property) cuts the 1–10 tables nearly in half. Then the ×1, ×2, ×5 and ×10 tables are easy for most children, leaving only a few dozen "hard" facts such as 6 × 7, 7 × 8 and 8 × 9.
12 tricks that really work
- ×2 is doubling. 2 × 8 = 8 + 8 = 16.
- ×4 is double, then double again. 4 × 7: double 7 = 14, double 14 = 28.
- ×8 is double three times. 8 × 6: 12 → 24 → 48.
- ×5 is half of ×10. 5 × 14 = 140 ÷ 2 = 70.
- ×10 adds a zero on the right: 10 × 23 = 230.
- ×9 finger trick. Hold up 10 fingers and fold down finger number n. Fingers to the left are tens, to the right are ones. 9 × 4: fold the 4th finger → 3 left, 6 right → 36.
- ×9 digits add to 9. 18, 27, 36, 45 … the tens digit is one less than the number you multiply by, and the two digits add to 9.
- ×11 for one-digit numbers repeats the digit: 11 × 7 = 77. For two-digit numbers, add the digits and put the sum in the middle: 11 × 43 → 4 (4+3) 3 = 473.
- ×3 is "the number plus its double". 3 × 13 = 13 + 26 = 39.
- ×6 of an even number ends in the same digit: 6 × 4 = 24, 6 × 8 = 48.
- ×12 = ×10 plus ×2. 12 × 7 = 70 + 14 = 84.
- Tables 11–20 from tables you know. 16 × 7 = (10 × 7) + (6 × 7) = 70 + 42 = 112. Every teen table is "10 times plus a small table".
The hardest facts — and a story for each
Children usually stumble on 6 × 7, 6 × 8, 7 × 7, 7 × 8 and 8 × 8. Give these a little hook: "5, 6, 7, 8 — 56 = 7 × 8" (the digits run in order). "8 × 8 fell on the floor — 64." Silly lines stick.
A 3-week practice plan
| Week | Focus | Daily time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | ×2, ×5, ×10, ×4, ×9 tricks | 10 minutes |
| 2 | ×3, ×6, ×8, ×11, ×12 | 10 minutes |
| 3 | ×7 and the "hard facts", then mixed speed rounds | 10–15 minutes |
Short daily practice beats one long weekend session. Mix it up: say tables aloud in the car, play a quick "beat the clock" round, and switch the order (8 × 6 as well as 6 × 8) so the child is not just reciting a chant.
Turn it into a game
Speed games make practice feel like play. In the free BeadBop app, True or False Sprint, Meteor Maths and Rocket Launch all use tables at Medium level, and the School Maths section tracks which facts your child already knows.
Quick answers
What is the fastest way to learn multiplication tables?
Use patterns instead of rote memory: doubling for ×2, ×4 and ×8, half of ×10 for ×5, the finger trick for ×9, and the commutative rule (7 × 8 = 8 × 7). Then practise the few remaining hard facts for 10 minutes a day.
At what age should a child know times tables?
Most curricula introduce tables in Class 2–3 (age 7–8) and expect tables up to 10 by Class 4. Tables up to 20 help a lot from Class 5 onwards.
How do you learn tables 11 to 20?
Split them: 16 × 7 = 10 × 7 + 6 × 7 = 70 + 42 = 112. Every teen table is ten times the number plus a small table you already know.