Teach your kids the times tables without the tears!, by Sums of Anarchy on YouTube. 8 min 58 s.
- Video length
- 8 min 58 s
- Time to do it
- 10 minutes a day
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 7
What you need
Steps
Choose one table to focus on and start with the 2s, 5s and 10s. Their simple patterns give your child quick wins and build confidence before the harder tables.
Make practice fun by turning sums into games: quick-fire quizzes, card games, songs or a race against the clock. Stop while your child is still enjoying it.
Make it real by linking sums to everyday objects. Use pairs of shoes for the 2s, five penny coins for the 5s, or lay out buttons in rows to show arrays.
Show the shortcuts. Explain that 3 x 4 is the same as 4 x 3, that the digits of a 9 times answer add up to 9, and that doubling the 2s gives the 4s.
Make it regular. Set aside five to ten minutes at the same time each day and tick off each session on a wall chart so your child can see their progress.
Take your time. Stay on one table until your child can answer in any order, then mix it with earlier tables rather than racing ahead to the next one.
Test recall in random order and out loud, not just from a written list. Praise effort and the sums they get right before going over the ones they missed.
Tips and common mistakes
Keep sessions short, because five focused minutes a day beats one long weekend drill.
Ask your child to say the whole sum out loud, such as six times seven is forty-two, so they hear the full fact.
Do not move on just because your child can recite a table in order; they need to answer it shuffled too.
Questions
What age should my child start learning times tables?
Most children are ready around age 6 to 8, once they can count in steps of 2, 5 and 10. Start with the easy tables and go at your child's pace.
How long should each practice session be?
Five to ten minutes a day is plenty. Short, regular sessions stick better than one long weekly session.
My child keeps forgetting the answers. What should I do?
Go back to a table they know well to rebuild confidence, then mix a few old sums into each new session. Forgetting is normal and repetition fixes it.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
