Multiplication Tables Made Easy: The Method That Works for Every Learning Style
- Ayush Ghurka
- Apr 23
- 5 min read
WRITTEN BY Mike T., M.Ed — Former 4th Grade Teacher 6 Years in Elementary Math Education | Grades 3–6 Specialist | 200+ US Students Tutored “As a math tutor who has worked with 200+ US students, I’ve seen every memorisation method that exists. Most kids fail at times tables not because they’re not trying hard enough — but because they’re using a method designed for a completely different type of learner.” |
It’s 9 p.m. and your child still doesn’t know the 7 times table. You’ve drilled flashcards for a week. Nothing is sticking. According to NCTM research, multiplication fact fluency is one of the highest-leverage skills in grades 3–5 — children who lack it spend so much working memory on basic computation that they have nothing left for the actual problem. But here’s what most parents don’t know: there is no single best way to learn times tables. There’s the best way for your child’s specific learning style.
The Visual Learner Method: See It to Know It
Visual learners represent about 65% of students, according to research published in the Journal of Educational Psychology. They need to see the pattern before they can store the fact.
The Grid Method
Print or draw a full 10×10 multiplication grid. Have your child colour-code it: 2s in blue, 3s in green, 5s in yellow, 10s in red. The act of colouring activates visual memory. Then cover one column at a time and quiz by pointing, not by asking out loud. Visual learners respond to spatial position — they often remember where on the grid a fact lives before they remember the number itself.
Patterns as Visual Anchors
Show these patterns explicitly:
The 9s finger trick: Hold up 10 fingers. For 9×4, fold down finger 4. Fingers to the left = tens digit (3). Fingers to the right = units digit (6). Answer: 36.
The 5s always end in 0 or 5. The 10s always end in 0. Visual pattern = instant recall.
Square numbers form a diagonal on the grid: 1, 4, 9, 16, 25... Highlight this diagonal and discuss why.
Printable Multiplication Chart (Backlink Asset)
The Auditory Learner Method: Say It, Sing It, Hear It
Auditory learners process information through sound and rhythm. Flashcards alone are nearly useless for this group. What they need is repetition through their ears, not their eyes.
Times Table Songs and Chants
YouTube has dozens of free multiplication songs for every table from 2s through 12s. For auditory learners, 10 minutes of listening to and repeating a times table song is worth more than an hour of flashcard drilling. The melody creates a retrieval cue that purely visual review cannot replicate.
Call-and-Response Drilling
Instead of 'What is 6 times 7?' try a rhythmic call-and-response: you say '6 times 7' with a clap rhythm, your child responds '42' on the beat. Rhythm and timing activate a different memory pathway — the same one that helps people remember song lyrics they haven’t heard in years.
Record and Replay
Have your child record themselves saying all the facts for one table in order, then play it back every morning during breakfast and every night during their bedtime routine for one week. Passive auditory exposure during low-distraction times is remarkably effective for this learning profile.
Our math tutors match method to your child's learning style → See Our Math Classes → tutor-ology.com/academic-math |
The Kinesthetic Learner Method: Move to Remember
Kinesthetic learners make up roughly 15% of students but are dramatically over-represented among children who struggle with traditional memorisation. They need to do something physical to encode a fact.
Jump Rope Skip Counting
While jumping rope (or jumping on a trampoline, or doing jumping jacks), count by the target multiple: 3, 6, 9, 12, 15... Combine physical rhythm with the number pattern. Kinesthetic learners often know their skip-counting sequences perfectly after just a few days of this practice — and skip counting is the bridge to multiplication fact recall.
Floor Number Lines
Use masking tape to make a number line on the floor. Have your child physically hop to each multiple while saying it aloud. '3 times 4 — I hop to 3, 6, 9, 12. The answer is 12.' Physical movement through space creates spatial-motor memory that outlasts verbal-only practice by a significant margin.
Multiplication War Card Game
Take a standard deck of cards (remove face cards). Each player flips two cards and multiplies them. The player with the highest product takes all four cards. This turns multiplication practice into a physical, competitive game — the ideal format for kinesthetic learners.
The 7 Times Table Trick (Works for Every Style)
The 7s are universally the hardest times table. Here’s the one trick I teach every student, regardless of learning style, that closes this gap for most kids within a week:
The Phone Number Trick: 7 × 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 Did you know 5, 6, 7, 8 looks like a phone keypad sequence? Use it: 7 × 5 = 35 | 7 × 6 = 42 | 7 × 7 = 49 | 7 × 8 = 56 Memory hook: '5, 6, 7, 8 — 35, 42, 49, 56.' Say it as one phrase, rhythmically, 10 times. Most children have it in 5 minutes. |
“ My son could NOT get the 7s no matter what we tried. His tutor taught him the phone number trick on a Monday. By Wednesday he was testing himself and getting them all right. I genuinely couldn't believe it. — Amara J., mom of a 3rd grader in Georgia ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
📊 Times Tables Method Guide — Pin This! | ||
👁️ Visual: Colour the Grid 65% of learners. Colour-code by table. Cover and point-quiz. Spatial position = memory hook. | 🎵 Auditory: Sing It Times table songs + rhythmic call-and-response. Record and replay at breakfast & bedtime. | 🤸 Kinesthetic: Move It Jump rope skip counting, floor number lines, and Multiplication War card game. |
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How long does it take to learn all the multiplication tables?
A: With daily 10-minute practice using the right method for your child’s learning style, most children achieve reasonable fluency across all tables 2–10 within 6–8 weeks. The 7s and 8s typically take 2–3 extra weeks. Fluency means recall within 3 seconds — not instant, but not counting either.
Q: Should kids memorise multiplication tables or understand them first?
A: Both, in that order. NCTM recommends that children build conceptual understanding (what 6×7 means, how arrays show multiplication) before drill for fluency. Without understanding, memorised facts are fragile under pressure. With understanding as a base, fluency practice is faster and more durable.
Q: What's the best order to learn the multiplication tables?
A: Start with 2s, 5s, and 10s — they have obvious patterns and build confidence. Then 3s and 4s. Then 6s, 7s, 8s, and 9s. The 9s finger trick makes 9s easier than 7s for most children. The 7s last (or use the phone number trick above). Squares (1×1, 2×2... 10×10) can be taught as a separate pattern at any point.
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Want your child to master their times tables — for good? Our math tutors identify your child’s learning style and use the right method from session one. Try your first class for just $5 Book a Trial Class → tutor-ology.com/bookfreetrial |
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