tables | Maths Blog

Revising times tables in Year 4

What have we got today? It’s the second in our multiplying by 3, 4, 6, 8 and 10 worksheets, suitable for year 4 children or those who are beginning to know their tables.

The best way to learn tables is to recite them out loud eg ‘4 times 3 is 12, then shorten it to, ‘4 3s are 12’, with the ultimate aim of being able to say the product for any two single digits without having to work it out.

During the process of learning times tables plenty of practice is needed and how well they have been learned can be seen by how quickly the page is correctly answered.

Multiplication 3x 4x 6x 8x 10_(pg 2)

More 2x, 5x and 10x tables

Children need an awful lot of practice when learning the 2x, 5x and 10x tables and don’t be afraid to encourage them to say these tables out loud and learn them by rote. You will probably find that they can recite the lyrics of a latest pop song, or all eleven of their favourite football team’s line up so there is little or no reason why they can’t learn tables – motivation is probably the main factor.

This page will show immediately whether these tables have been learned. It can be answered very quickly – just a couple of minutes, or it may take some time. Anything over 3 or 4 minutes will show that the times tables have not been learned off by heart.

This page can be found in the Four Rules category.

More 2x, 5x, 10x practice

Year 3 maths worksheet: 4x table

This is a useful page for children who are beginning to get to grips with learning the 4x table. The questions are in pairs, with the same answer. This can reinforce the idea that multiplication can be done in any order; so 3 x 4 is the same as 4 x 3. There is only one question where this does not apply, and that is where 16 is the answer, which of course is the square of 4, or 4 x 4 . Another answer needs to be placed in the second number sentence, such as 2 x 8.

A good test of how well children know the 4x table will be the speed at which these worksheets are answered.

Thanks to urbrainy.com for letting me publish this resource and I can highly recommend their maths resources, which you can view on a free trial at www.urbrainy.com

Missing numbers 4x table

6 times table space challenge

Children need as many opportunities as possible to practise their knowledge of tables and teachers are always on the lookout for something slightly different to maintain interest. Hopefully this page will be useful as it is a bright and fun way to show how well the 6 times table is known and it could also be used as a timed challenge.

Beginning at the start move to the first box and write the number 6 times that shown on the left hand side, then move on to the next box and so on. There are 20 questions altogether; some children may become ‘stuck’ on a question, encourage them to move on and then return to it at the end. If they are stuck remind them, for example, that if they cannot remember 6 x 6 it is only six more than 5 x 6 which they should be able to remember.

This page can be found in our Maths worksheets, Four Rules, multiplication section and hopefully I will be adding similar pages for other times tables before long.

6x tables space challenge

8 times table practice

Here we have another in our series of Rocket tables sheets. This time it is the 8 times table, which is one of those tables that many children never really get to learn ‘off by heart’. This page makes a good check sheet to see whether the table is known: if it is then it will take little time to complete. If the table is not known then much more time will be needed.

It can be argued that the 8 times table can be derived from doubling the 2x table and then doubling again.Of course, this is true, but it just takes too long.

This can be found in our Maths Worksheets, Four Rules section.

8x tables space challenge

7 times table practice

I have had several requests for more in the way of tables practice sheets: so here is one for the 7 times table.

The 7 times table is probably the hardest of the lot as there is little in the way of a recognisable pattern in the digits. However, if 2, 3, 4, 5 6 and 10 times tables have already been learned, then there is not much else to worry about!

Use this sheet as a timed exercise or as a check to see if the table is really well know.

It can be found in our Four Rules category, under mental methods of multiplication.

7x tables space challenge

Learning the 4 times table

The normal route through learning tables is to start with the twos and tens as these are probably the tables most familiar to children. The next stage is usually to learn the fives, followed by fours. The four times table has a number of characteristics which can be pointed out to help children. Firstly, all the answers are even, so must end in 0, 2, 4, 6 or 8. Secondly it is double the two times tables. Doubling is a very powerful mental arithmetic tool and some cultures incorporate it into all their multiplying.

This is a page most suited to those just starting to learn their four times table as it has a number line to help. Try to use this only when uncertain of the answer. It can be found in our Four Rules section, under Tables. It is expected that children in Year 3 (7/8 years old) should be learning this table and have a good knowledge of it by the end of the year.

4 times table (3)

Learning the 6 times table

Now we come to some of the harder tables, starting with the 6 times table.
There is nothing especially ‘catchy’ to remember about this table, it is pretty much just hard work. It should not be learned until the 2, 3, 4, 5 and 10 times tables have been learned. If this has been achieved, then over half the 6 times table has already been mastered!
Someone with a good knowledge of the three times table can always double the answers to get the six! Also six sixes is thirty six has a nice rhythm to it.

The whole idea of tables is that they are learnt, off by heart. To do this it is essential to say them out loud:

One times six is six
two times six is twelve
three times six is eighteen
four times six is twenty four
five times six is thirty
six times six is thirty six
seven times six is forty two
eight times six is forty eight
nine times six is fifty four
ten times six is sixty

Below are two worksheets for the six times table. A good way to do these is to time them to see how long your child takes.
When you get really good with a table you should be able to say it in under ten seconds (missing out unnecessary words ie one six, six; two sixes, twelve…etc).

6x_table (1)

Year 5 Calculator game: 9 times table

Here we have a calculator game for two players. As well as the calculator you need the printed grid and some counters. Take turns to choose a number on the grid. Enter a number on the calculator that you think will produce the number in the square when multiplied by 9. if correct place a counter on the covering that number. Then it is your opponents turn. The aim is to get a line of four counters in a row, either across, down or diagonally.

These calculator activities can be found in year 5: Knowing Number Facts

9x table calculator game

Resource of the Week: Times tables and square numbers

As well as all our worksheets in each of the year groups from 1 to 6 don’t forget to look at our Four Rules section for the more ‘old fashioned’ type of pages. Here we have rather a mixed bag of questions. The first half asks questions derived from the times tables, such as ‘How many fours in 32?’ This is an important question to ask before moving on to the long method of division.

The second set of questions looks at square numbers, which, of course, give a diagonal pattern on a tables square. Children need to be familiar with the square sign to tackle this. It is extremely useful to know, off by heart, all the square numbers, up to at least 10 x 10, as it will be a great help later in High School.

This page can be found in our Four Rules section, under Multiplication (mental methods).

Times table questions (pg 1)