An order that makes learning easier
Many children find it easiest to start with the 1, 2, 5 and 10 tables, because they follow clear patterns: the 10 times table adds a zero, the 5 times table ends in 5 or 0, and the 2 times table is doubling. Next come 3, 4 and 9, then 6, 7 and 8, which have the fewest shortcuts. Use the range fields to work on two or three tables at a time, and move on when the answers come quickly and without counting on fingers.
Patterns worth pointing out
Order does not matter in multiplication: 6 × 7 is the same as 7 × 6, so once the 6 times table is known, half of the 7 times table is already learned. In a 12 × 12 chart, 144 facts reduce to 78 different pairs. In the 9 times table up to 9 × 10, the digits of each answer add up to 9 (9 × 7 = 63, and 6 + 3 = 9), and the tens digit is one less than the number multiplied by 9. The square numbers, such as 4 × 4 = 16 and 7 × 7 = 49, sit on the diagonal of the chart, which is highlighted so children can see the symmetry on either side.
How to use the practice sheets
Short, frequent practice works better than one long session: a 10-question sheet a day for a week does more than 70 questions on a Sunday. Practice sheets draw every fact from the chosen tables before any fact repeats, and about a third of the questions are swapped round so that both 3 × 8 and 8 × 3 appear. Tick "missing number" once the plain facts are secure; questions like 8 × _ = 56 prepare for division. On screen, wrong answers turn red and show the right answer after checking. Nothing is saved or sent anywhere, so each sheet is private to the device.
Beyond 12: tables up to 30
Tables beyond 12 are useful for older pupils, for mental arithmetic and for checking long multiplication. The 15 times table helps with minutes and quarter hours, the 24 with hours in a day, and the 25 with quarters of 100. To link multiplication with percentages, the percentage calculator shows the same idea with decimals, and the grade calculator is handy once school results start to be averaged.