Times tables 2 to 9

What the times tables mean

3 × 4 means adding 3 four times. 3 + 3 + 3 + 3 = 12, so 3 × 4 = 12. You can see it by laying out 4 groups of 3 counters or buttons.

Switching the order of the two numbers does not change the answer: 3 × 4 = 4 × 3 = 12. Once your child knows this, the number of new facts to memorize drops by almost half.

Why children find it hard

• There is a lot to memorize, and the later facts in the 6, 7, 8, and 9 tables have similar answers that are easy to confuse: 6 × 8 = 48, 7 × 8 = 56, 6 × 9 = 54.
• If they only learn the tables in order like a song, they have to recite the 7 table from the start just to recall 7 × 8.
• If they memorize without understanding the meaning, they have no way to find the answer again on their own when they forget.

An order for learning them, with tips

1. Start with the meaning. Use counters or drawings to make “4 groups of 3” and write it as 3 × 4.
2. Learn the easier tables first. The 2 and 5 tables, then the 3 and 4 tables, and finally the 6, 7, 8, and 9 tables is an order that feels manageable.
3. Use switching the order. 7 × 3 in the 7 table is the same as 3 × 7, which your child already knows. Only the last few facts are new.
4. Count on from a fact you know. If 7 × 8 does not come to mind, add 7 to 7 × 7 = 49 to get 56.
5. Ask in mixed order. Once each table is learned, ask at random, for example mixing the 2 and 7 tables. Problems in the app also mix the tables and the numbers being multiplied.

Common mistakes

• Swapping in a similar fact. For example, 7 × 8 = 54, mixed up with the answer to 6 × 9. Gather the few facts your child often misses on cards and repeat them.
• Adding instead of multiplying. For example, 6 × 3 = 9, reading the sign wrong. This happens especially often when mixed with addition units.
• Not being able to start from the middle. For example, your child has to recite the 8 table from the start to get 8 × 6. Combine reciting backwards with asking in mixed order.

10 practice problems

Same format as this unit in the app (2 to 9 tables × 1 to 9). Tap to see each answer.

1. 3 × 4 = ?
   Answer

   12

2. 6 × 7 = ?
   Answer

   42

3. 8 × 6 = ?
   Answer

   48

4. 7 × 8 = ?
   Answer

   56

5. 9 × 4 = ?
   Answer

   36

6. 4 × 7 = ?
   Answer

   28

7. 6 × 9 = ?
   Answer

   54

8. 7 × 7 = ?
   Answer

   49

9. 2 × 8 = ?
   Answer

   16

10. 8 × 9 = ?
    Answer

    72

Practicing this unit in the app

1. Open the Create tab at the bottom of the app. If you have not added your child yet, add them in the Children tab first.
2. Under 📚 Select Level, tap Lv.7 (Ages 9-10), then under 📖 Select Unit choose “Multiplication tables”.
3. Set the number of problems with the − and + buttons on the unit card, or tap ✏️ to type a number. For times tables, about 10 problems every day is easier than many at once.
4. Choose your child under 👶 For whom? and create the problems. Your child can solve them on their own device, or tap Solve on this phone now right after creating to solve on your phone.
5. When your child submits, open the worksheet and tap ✅ Grade Now. The correct answer and your child's answer are shown for each problem, so you can see which tables cause trouble.
6. If any answers are wrong, tap ❌ Retry Wrong Answers on the results in your child's screen. The correct answers are shown only after they submit again.
7. Check the accuracy for each unit in the Progress tab. 90% or higher is shown as Good, 70-89% as Average, and below 70% as Weak.