Forget rote drilling for a minute. These genuine multiplication shortcuts — the kind that stick in a child's memory for life — can cut times table learning time in half.
There are children who seem to have their times tables down cold — effortless recall, no hesitation. In almost every case, someone showed them a shortcut or a pattern at some point, and that pattern stuck. These aren't cheats. They are genuine mathematical insights. Here are the ones that actually make a difference.
The 10 Rule: The Easiest One of All
Multiplying by 10? Just put a zero on the end. 6×10=60. 14×10=140. Kids find this almost insultingly obvious once they see it — which is exactly why it works. Start here and serve up a quick win. Confidence built early is confidence that lasts.
The 5 Trick: Halve the 10
If 7×10=70, then 7×5 must be half of that: 35. This works for every number. 8×5? Half of 80 is 40. 13×5? Half of 130 is 65. Once a child sees that the 5 times table is just the 10 times table cut in half, it clicks instantly and they never struggle with 5s again.
The 9 Finger Trick
Hold up all 10 fingers. To multiply 9 by any number from 1 to 10, fold down the corresponding finger. For 9×4, fold down your fourth finger. Count the fingers to the left (3) and to the right (6): the answer is 36. This trick works perfectly for all of 9×1 through 9×10 and kids love doing it. The physical act of folding a finger makes the answer memorable in a way that flashcards simply don't.
Doubles and Near Doubles
7×8 consistently comes up as the hardest times table fact for most children. Here's a way in: 7×8 is the same as 7×7 plus one more 7. If they know 7×7=49, then 7×8=49+7=56. This 'use a near fact' strategy works across the board and teaches real mathematical thinking rather than just memorisation.
Square Numbers Are Anchors
3×3, 4×4, 5×5, 6×6, 7×7, 8×8, 9×9 — these are the square numbers. If a child learns these nine facts first (they have a visual pattern that's easier to remember), they can use them as anchors to reach all the surrounding facts. 6×7? That's 6×6 plus one more 6: 36+6=42.
The Commutative Property Halves the Work
This is the single most underused shortcut in times table teaching. If you know 3×7, you automatically know 7×3. A simple demonstration — draw a 3×7 grid, then rotate it 90 degrees to show a 7×3 grid containing exactly the same number of squares — is usually enough to make this permanent. The number of unique facts to learn drops from 100 to 55.
💡 Quick Tips
- ✓Teach the 10s and 5s first — they are trivially easy and build instant confidence
- ✓Use the finger trick for 9s — kids love it and it never fails
- ✓Demonstrate the commutative property visually — it literally halves the workload
- ✓Learn the nine square numbers first — they anchor the entire times table grid
Ready to Put This Into Practice?
Try one of our free interactive math games — no sign-up required.
Explore All Games →