How to Help Your Child Memorize the Times Tables
Quick answer
To help your child memorize the times tables, start with the easiest patterns (0s, 1s, 2s, 5s, 10s), then build up to the harder facts (6s, 7s, 8s). Use skip-counting songs, visual patterns, and short daily drills (5 to 10 minutes) instead of long study sessions. Focus extra practice on the facts they miss most, and use tricks like the 9s finger method or rhymes for the tricky middle facts. With consistent practice, most kids can master the core tables in 6 to 8 weeks.
Memorizing the times tables is one of the most important math skills your child will learn in 3rd grade. When multiplication facts are automatic, your child can focus on solving harder problems instead of getting stuck on basic calculations. Below is a step-by-step plan for how to memorize times tables, along with tricks for the hard facts, common mistakes to avoid, and ideas for practice at home.
Why memorizing times tables matters
Multiplication facts are the foundation for everything that comes after: long multiplication, division, fractions, and algebra. When a child has to stop and figure out 6×7 every time, they lose the thread of a multi-step problem. Fluent recall (knowing the answer in under 3 seconds) frees up brain space for the real thinking.
The Common Core standard for 3rd grade (3.OA.C.7) expects children to fluently multiply and divide within 100, using strategies and properties of operations. By the end of 3rd grade, your child should know all the facts from 0×0 through 10×10, and many schools push to 12×12.
Start with the easiest times tables
Don’t try to teach all the facts at once. Start with the tables that have clear patterns, because early wins build confidence.
The easiest tables to learn first:
- 0s and 1s: anything times 0 is 0, anything times 1 stays the same.
- 2s: skip-count by 2 (2, 4, 6, 8, 10…).
- 5s: skip-count by 5 (5, 10, 15, 20…), and every answer ends in 0 or 5.
- 10s: add a zero to the other number (10×3 = 30).
Once your child has these down, they already know half the multiplication chart because of the commutative property: if they know 2×7, they also know 7×2.
Teach the 9s with the finger trick
The 9s table has a visual trick that makes it memorable. Here’s how:
- Hold both hands out, palms up, fingers spread.
- To multiply 9×4, count 4 fingers from the left and bend that finger down.
- Count the fingers to the left of the bent finger (3) and to the right (6). The answer is 36.
This works for 9×1 through 9×10. Kids love it because it feels like magic, and it gives them a backup when they forget a 9s fact.
Focus extra practice on the hard middle facts
The facts that take the longest to stick are the ones in the middle: 6s, 7s, and 8s. These don’t have an obvious pattern, so they need more repetition.
Tricks for the tricky facts:
- 7×8 = 56: “5, 6, 7, 8” (the numbers go in order, and 56 is the answer).
- 6×6 = 36: “6 and 6 went to the store and bought 36.”
- 8×8 = 64: “I ate and ate until I was sick on the floor, 8×8 is 64.”
Rhymes and stories make these facts stick because they give your child’s brain a hook. Make up your own if these don’t work for your child.
How to practice times tables at home
Short, daily practice beats long weekend sessions. Here’s what works:
1. Flashcards (paper or digital): shuffle the deck, show the problem, and give your child 3 seconds to answer. If they get it wrong, put that card back in the pile to come up again.
2. Skip-counting songs: YouTube has dozens of catchy skip-counting songs for the 2s, 3s, 4s, and so on. Play one in the car or at breakfast.
3. Timed drills: print a 100-problem multiplication grid and time how many your child can answer in 5 minutes. Track progress over a week.
4. Real-life multiplication: “If each box holds 6 apples and we have 4 boxes, how many apples is that?” Seeing multiplication in context helps it stick.
5. Apps with instant feedback: apps like Octolearn generate grade-matched practice sets with read-aloud support and a hint before the answer, so kids can practice on their own without getting frustrated.
Keep sessions to 5 or 10 minutes. When your child misses a fact, don’t just give the answer. Ask a leading question (“What’s 6×6?” “Well, what’s 6×5?”) so they can figure it out with a nudge.
The 3 mistakes parents make when teaching times tables
How to know your child has mastered the times tables
Your child has fluent recall when they can:
- Answer any fact from 0×0 through 10×10 in under 3 seconds.
- Explain what a fact like 6×4 means (“6 groups of 4” or “4 groups of 6”).
- Use a known fact to figure out a related one (if they know 5×7, they can find 6×7 by adding one more 7).
- Solve simple word problems that require multiplication without hesitating on the calculation.
When those feel automatic, your child is ready to move on to division facts (which are just the flip side of multiplication) and multi-digit multiplication.
The easiest way to give your child daily practice
For most parents, the hardest part of teaching times tables isn’t the math. It’s coming up with enough problems, keeping track of which facts need more work, and keeping your child willing to practice. That’s where Octolearn helps: describe the skill (“times tables for 3rd grade”), and it builds a grade-matched practice set with read-aloud on every question, a hint and a second try before the answer, and stars and streaks that keep kids coming back. It’s free to try, and it takes the daily drill off your plate so you can focus on the teaching.