HOW TO LEARN TIMES TABLES
part 11 - 8x tables - things to discuss
The student will already know a lot of the 8x tables because of their work on the 2s to 7s and also the points discussed. These are:
8x1=8, 8x2=16, 8x3=24, 8x4=32, 8x5=40, 8x6=48, 8x7=56, 8x10=80, 8x11=88
Also show that multiplying by 12 again isn’t hard. It’s just 8x10=80 plus 8x2=16. Add them together and you get 96.
Lookings at the Time Tables List for 8s, there are some interesting patterns similar to that of the 4s:
- All multiples of 8 are even numbers, because 8 is an even number
- There is a pattern for multiples of 8. They always end in 8,6,4,2,0 in the same pattern over and over. See how it goes down by 2 each time as the tens column goes up i.e. 08, 16, 24, 32, 40, then 48, 56, 64, 72, 80, and over and over.
- Because this, we know there is a pattern in multiples of 8 ending in zero. They go 40,80,120,160,200. They go up in 40s.
- An interesting fact which comes in useful later at school is that 200 is a multiple of 8, but 100 isn’t a multiple of 8 (but it is a multiple of 4).
- This also means that 1,000 is a multiple of 8, and therefore any multiple of 1,000 is also a multiple of 8.
My daughter’s favourite rhyme for her times tables is for 8x8=64. It goes like this:
I ate and I ate and I was sick on the floor,
Eight times eight is sixty-four
It’s not favourite of mine, but if it helps a student remember 8x8=64, then use it.
Based on this, there is only 1 new equation to learn. That is 8x9=72
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HOW TO LEARN TIMES TABLES
part 10 - 7x tables - things to discuss
The student will already know a lot of the 7x tables because of their work on the 2s to 6s and also the introductory points discussed earlier. These are:
7x1=7, 7x2=14, 7x3=21, 7x4=28, 7x5=35, 7x6=42, 7x10=70, 7x11=77
Also show that multiplying by 12 again isn’t hard. It’s just 7x10=70 plus 7x2=14. Add them together and you get 84.
Based on this, there are only 3 new equations to learn. They are 7x7=49, 7x8=56, 7x9=63
I always like to draw attention to 7x8=56. Students often confuse this with 6x9=54. It’s good for students to be aware of these two times tables, and I make a point of getting them to work out how they’re not going to confuse the answers as this is a common mistake students make.
HOW TO LEARN TIMES TABLES
part 9 - 6x tables - things to discuss
The student will already know a lot of the 6x tables because of their work on the 2s to 5s and also the introductory points discussed earlier. These are:
6x1=6, 6x2=12, 6x3=18, 6x4=24, 6x5=30, 6x10=60, 6x11=66
Also show that multiplying by 12 again isn’t hard. It’s just 6x10=60 plus 6x2=12. Add them together and you get 72.
There are also three nice rhymes when chanting the 6x tables. They are:
- Six fours are twenty-four
- Six sixes are thirty-six
- Six eights are forty-eight
Notice the pattern
6 x 4 ends in a 4, and the 2 in 20 is half of 4 (i.e. 24)
6 x 6 ends in a 6, and the 3 in 30 is half of 6 (i.e. 36)
6 x 8 ends in an 8, and the 4 in 40 is half of 8 (i.e. 48)
Based on this, there are only 2 new equations to learn. They are 6x7=42, 6x9=54
Another interesting rule to learn about 6s is how to work out if a number is a multiple of 6. This works for any number, no matter its size. A multiple of 6 has to satisfy 2 conditions:
- It has to be an even number, so ends in 2,4,6,8, or 0
- It has to be a multiple of 3 (see 3x tables Things to Discuss for that rule)
This is because 6=2x3. So, if both conditions are satisfied, then the number is a multiple of 6.
HOW TO LEARN TIMES TABLES
part 8 - 5x tables - things to discuss
Look at a Time Tables List for 5s, specifically at what the multiples end in:
- All multiples of 5 end in either a 0 or a 5.
- If it’s 5x an even number, then it ends in 0
- If it’s 5x an odd number, then it ends in 5
So, if the answer given doesn’t end in a 0 or 5, you know right away that it’s wrong.
The student will already know a lot of the 5x tables because of their work on the 2s to 4s and also the points discussed. These are:
5x1=5, 5x2=10, 5x3=15, 5x4=20, 5x10=50, 5x11=55
Also show that multiplying by 12 again isn’t hard. It’s just 5x10=50 plus 5x2=10. Add them together and you get 60.
Based on this, there are only 6 new equations to learn.
They 5x5, 5x6, 5x7, 5x8, 5x9.
HOW TO LEARN TIMES TABLES
part 7 - 4x tables - things to discuss
The student will already know a lot of the 4x tables because of their work on the 2s and 3s and also the general properties of numbers discussed. These are:
4x1=4, 4x2=8, 4x3=12, 4x10=40, 4x11=44
Also show that multiplying by 12 again isn’t hard.
- It’s just 4x10=40 plus 4x2=8. Add them together and you get 48.
Look at the Time Tables List for 4s and there are some interesting patterns:
- All multiples of 4 are even numbers, because 4 is an even number
- There is a pattern for multiples of 4. They always end in 4,8,2,6,0 in the same pattern over and over.
- Because this, we know there is a pattern in multiples of 4 ending in zero. They go 20,40,60,80,100. They go up in 20s.
An interesting fact which comes in useful later at school is that 100 is a multiple of 4 and 4x25=100 (useful when learning that ¼ = 25%).
- So to tell if a number is a multiple of 4, look at the last 2 digits. If the last 2 digits are a multiple of 4, then the whole number is a multiple of 4.
It is always best to memorise the times tables with chanting, but there is also a quick trick to multiply any number by 4. You just double it, then double it again. E.g. 4x6=24. But you can also get to it by 2x6=12 then 2x12=24. This little trick also works for higher numbers.
HOW TO LEARN TIMES TABLES
part 6 - 3x tables - things to discuss
The student will already know a lot of the 3x tables because of their work on the 2s and also the general properties of numbers already discussed. These are:
3x1=3, 3x2=6, 3x10=30, 3x11=33
Also introduce the idea that multiplying by 12 isn’t too hard.
- It’s just 3x10=30 plus 3x2=6. Add them together and you get 36.
- Alternatively, some students may prefer to go 3x11=33, then just add another 3 to get to 36. This is OK to help the student get to the answer, but I prefer the other approach as I know that 3x12 has to end in a 6 because 3x2=6. It’s always useful to build in ways to self-check any calculations.
So, there are not too many new 3x tables to actually learn.
An interesting rule to learn about 3s is how to work out if a number is a multiple of 3. This works for any number, no matter its size.
- The rule is that a number is a multiple of 3 if the sum of its digits is also a multiple of 3
- E.g. 357 is a multiple of 3 because 3+5+7=15 and 15 is a multiple of 3.
- Check this rule on a calculator for any whole number. It’s a useful rule, but unfortunately, not many of my students appear to be taught it at school.
HOW TO LEARN TIMES TABLES
part 6 - 2x tables - things to discuss
Look at the Time Tables List for 2s
- Talk about odd numbers vs even numbers.
- All odd numbers end in 1,3,5,7,9
- All even numbers end in 2,4,6,8,0
There are only even numbers in the 2x tables list.
All multiples of 2 are even numbers. So, they have to end in 2,4,6,8, or 0. If the answer given when multiplying by 2 is an odd number, you know right away that it’s wrong. And you also therefore know that every even number is a multiple of 2.
2 is the only even prime number (this may be a bit advanced for this level, but it’s still an interesting fact to start being aware of).
A prime number has to satisfy 2 conditions:
- It has only 2 factors (what multiplies into that number)
- These factors are 1 and itself. E.g. 2 is a prime number because its factors are 1 and 2. But 4 is not a prime number because its factors are 1,2 and 4.
- Note that 1 is not a prime because it only has one factor, that being 1.
28/03/2026
The 2026 NCEA Exam Timetable has been released. Here are the dates. You can find the original PDF file on the NCEA website.
Key dates:
NCEA1 Maths and Stats Tues 10th Nov (am)
NCEA2 Maths and Stats Thurs 19th Nov (am)
NCEA3 Calculus Mon 16th Nov (am)
NCEA3 Statistics Tues 24th Nov (am)
HOW TO LEARN TIMES TABLES
part 5 - Before you begin, get to know interesting properties of numbers
Here are some general things that I find interesting, and they’re really useful to learn as a student starts to learn the properties of numbers.
- Anything multiplied by zero equal zero. E.g. 200x0=0. That works for anything multiplied by zero.
- Anything multiplied by 1 is itself. E.G. 2x1=2, 234x1=234. That works for anything multiplied by 1. That’s why you may hear 1 being called the “Multiplicative Identity”.
- Look at all numbers multiplied by 10. You just write the number out and stick a zero on the end. E.g. 2x10=20, 43x10=430.
- Look at numbers up to 9 multiplied by 11. You just write the number out twice and that’s the answer. E.g. 2x11=22, 9x11=99.
HOW TO LEARN TIMES TABLES
part4 - Learn times tables in numerical order
I would recommend learning times tables starting from 2x and progressing in numerical order up to 12. Some schools may prefer to teach 2x, the 5x and 10x before learning the others. I prefer my method, as each new times table being learnt, already includes some times tables that the student already knows.
HOW TO LEARN TIMES TABLES
part3 - Skip counting is a waste of time
Do not, I repeat DO NOT skip count. This is just a waste of time. When a student skip counts, they do not get to know the relationship between the numbers being multiplied and their products. For example, 7x8=56. If a student skip counts, they have to skip count 7, 14, 21, 28, 35, 42, 49 to finally get to 56. They never learn the relationship between 7, 8 and 56, and they’re more prone to errors when multiplying higher numbers.
Knowing the relationship between numbers and the properties of numbers is so important as a student progresses with their maths. Do not believe anyone who says times tables aren’t important.
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