Multiplication Tables
A times table is a list of the multiples of a number — the answers you get when you multiply it by 1, 2, 3 and so on. In Year 3 (ACARA v9), students build quick recall of the multiplication facts for 3, 4, 5 and 10 (adding to the 2s learnt earlier), so the facts come to mind without working them out each time. The key idea: each table has patterns that make it easier to learn — the 5s end in 5 or 0, the 10s end in 0, and the 4s are just the 2s doubled. Knowing the tables by heart frees up thinking for harder problems later, the way knowing letters frees you to read.
Worked examples
Count the 5 times table up to 5 x 6.
List the multiples of 5: 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30. Notice they all end in 5 or 0.
Answer: 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30
Use the pattern of the 10 times table to find 10 x 7.
Every answer in the 10s ends in 0 — put a 0 after the other number. 7 becomes 70.
Answer: 70
The 4 times table is double the 2 times table. If 2 x 6 = 12, what is 4 x 6?
Double the 2s answer: double 12 is 24.
Answer: 24
Real-world: a bag holds 3 apples. How many apples in 7 bags?
This is the 3 times table: 3 x 7. Recall or count in threes seven times: 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21.
Answer: 21 apples
Tips
- •Learn one table at a time and look for its pattern. The 5s end in 5 or 0, the 10s end in 0, the 3s go 3, 6, 9, 12 — a pattern is easier to remember than a random list.
- •Use what you know to reach what you do not. The 4s are double the 2s, and any table times 1 is itself — so there are fewer facts to learn than it seems.
- •Common mistake to watch for: children often learn a table forwards (3, 6, 9…) but freeze when asked '6 times 3' out of order. Practise facts in a mixed order, not just chanting up the table.
- •Practise little and often. A few minutes of table practice most days builds recall far better than one long session — facts stick with repetition.