Learning the times tables — the smart order

Learning the times tables — the smart order

There is a smart order to learn the tables. Easy ones first, hard ones last. Here it is.

1. The 1× and 10× tables — already done

These two are free.

  • 1 × any number = the same number. 1 × 7 = 7.
  • 10 × any number = put a 0 after. 10 × 7 = 70.

2. The 2× table — counting in twos

You already know it from skip counting:

2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20.

That's 2 × 1 through 2 × 10. Easy.

3. The 5× table — every fact ends in 0 or 5

5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50.

The pattern alternates: 5, 0, 5, 0, … Look at the units digit and you'll spot it.

4. The 4× table — double the 2× table

Take a 2× fact, then double it. 2 × 7 = 14, so 4 × 7 = 28.

5. The 3× table — count by threes

3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21, 24, 27, 30.

Notice: every fact's digits add up to a multiple of 3. (15 → 1+5 = 6 ✓, 27 → 2+7 = 9 ✓.)

6. The 6× table — double the 3× table

3 × 7 = 21, so 6 × 7 = 42.

7. The 9× table — finger trick (and a beautiful pattern)

The tens digit goes up by 1, the units digit goes down by 1:

9, 18, 27, 36, 45, 54, 63, 72, 81, 90.

You can see it: 1+8 = 9, 2+7 = 9, 3+6 = 9 — every fact's digits add up to 9.

The finger trick: hold up 10 fingers. To do 9 × n, fold down the n-th finger from the left. The fingers to its left are tens; the fingers to its right are ones. (Try 9 × 4 — fold finger 4. You see 3 fingers, then a fold, then 6 fingers → 36. ✓)

8. The 7× table — the trickiest

There's no slick pattern. Memorise the new ones — but most are already known thanks to commutativity:

  • 7 × 1 = 7 (1× table)
  • 7 × 2 = 14 (2× table)
  • 7 × 3 = 21 (3× table)
  • 7 × 4 = 28 (4× table)
  • 7 × 5 = 35 (5× table)
  • 7 × 6 = 42 (6× table)
  • 7 × 7 = 49 ← genuinely new
  • 7 × 8 = 56 ← genuinely new
  • 7 × 9 = 63 (9× table)
  • 7 × 10 = 70 (10× table)

Only two new facts. Memorise 7 × 7 = 49 and 7 × 8 = 56 and you're done.

9. The 8× table — double the 4× (or, double-double the 2×)

4 × 7 = 28, so 8 × 7 = 56.

By the time you get here, you've already met every fact through other tables. Just do a quick check.

Try it

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