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How to learn the times tables fast
A simple plan you can start today: learn the easy patterns first, practise little and often, and let every mistake teach the right answer.
The fastest way to learn the times tables is to drill one table at a time in a sensible order — ×2, ×10, ×5, ×4, ×3, then ×6–×9, then ×11 and ×12 — using short, frequent practice with instant feedback. Five focused minutes a day beats a single long session, and revealing the correct answer the instant a child slips turns each mistake into a quick lesson.
Key takeaways
- Order matters: start with the tables that have clear patterns (2, 10, 5).
- One table at a time until it's automatic, then mix it in.
- Little and often — short daily rounds, not weekly marathons.
- Instant feedback so the right fact replaces the wrong one immediately.
- Celebrate each table mastered to keep motivation high.
The best order to learn them
Children build momentum fastest when they begin with the tables that have the clearest patterns, so early wins come easily:
- ×2 — doubling, which most children already half-know.
- ×10 — just add a zero.
- ×5 — every answer ends in 0 or 5.
- ×4 — double, then double again.
- ×3 — a gentle step up.
- ×6, ×7, ×8, ×9 — the trickier middle, tackled once the easy ones are solid.
- ×11 and ×12 — finish strong.
Pick any of these on the practice page and drill ten questions at a time. The full multiplication chart is handy to keep open beside your child while a new table is still fresh.
A four-step method that sticks
1. Read the table out loud once
Saying "three sixes are eighteen" aloud engages more of the brain than reading silently. Run through the new table once before any quiz so the sound is in your child's ears.
2. Drill in short rounds
Do a round of ten questions on the practice tool, with instant right/wrong feedback. Stop while it's still going well — leaving a child wanting one more round is exactly the right place to finish.
3. Mix it in
Once a single table feels automatic, add it to mixed practice so your child has to recall facts out of order — that's where real fluency is proven, not just memorisation of a list.
4. Build speed, then celebrate
When recall is reliable, a 60-second speed test turns accuracy into fast, confident recall. Finish the journey with a graded diploma — a printable certificate is a surprisingly powerful reward for a young learner.
Why little-and-often wins
Memory for facts is strengthened by repeated, spaced retrieval — recalling a fact, getting feedback, and trying again after a short gap. This is why five minutes a day outperforms half an hour once a week: the spacing itself does much of the work. Keep sessions short enough that they never feel like a chore, and your child will return to them willingly.
Frequently asked questions
What order should my child learn the times tables in?
A friendly, widely used order is ×2, ×10, ×5, ×4, ×3, then the trickier ×6, ×7, ×8, ×9, and finally ×11 and ×12. The 2s, 5s and 10s have clear patterns, so they build confidence first. You can drill any of them on the practice page.
How long does it take to learn all the times tables?
With short daily practice of five to ten minutes, most children gain solid recall of the full set over a school year or two. The exact pace varies a lot by child — frequency matters more than session length.
What is the single fastest way to memorise them?
Short, frequent, spaced practice with instant feedback. Drill one table until recall is automatic, mix it with the ones already known, then move on — and always reveal the correct answer the moment a mistake happens.
Sources & basis: the suggested learning order and "little and often" advice reflect widely used primary-maths practice; the benefit of spaced, retrieval-based practice is well established in cognitive-science research on learning (the "spacing effect" and "testing effect"). Multiplication products themselves are mathematical facts. Adapt the pace to your own child.
Last reviewed 2026-06-28