Learning the tables in steps
- 2, 5 and 10. Counting in twos, fives and tens makes these the easiest to start with.
- 3, 4 and 8. The 4s are double the 2s, and the 8s are double the 4s.
- 6, 7 and 9. The trickiest facts; most children learn them last.
- All tables 2 to 12. Mixed practice once each table is secure.
Facts, missing factors and division
Knowing 7 × 8 = 56 also means knowing 8 × 7, 56 ÷ 7 and 56 ÷ 8. Mixing the three kinds of problem helps children see a times table as a family of facts, not a list to recite, and makes division much easier later on.
In the Australian Curriculum
- Year 2Recalling multiplication facts for twos: Version 9.0 starts fact recall here.
- Year 3Recalling multiplication facts for twos, threes, fours, fives and tens, using a range of strategies.
- Year 4Choosing efficient strategies for multiplication and division where there is no remainder (AC9M4N06).
Version 9.0 brought in expectations for recalling multiplication facts beginning in Year 2. That makes the 2, 5 and 10 set a Year 2 and Year 3 sheet, with threes and fours added in Year 3, and the 6, 7, 8 and 9 tables after that.
The curriculum talks about recall “using a range of strategies”, not just chanting. Use doubling (the 4s are double the 2s) and near facts (9 × 6 is 10 × 6 take away 6) alongside the sheets, so a fact that slips can be worked out again quickly.
Summarised in our own words from the Australian Curriculum: Mathematics, Version 9.0 (ACARA).
