Reasons your child should memorise their times tables.

Ensuring your child has memorised their times tables provides them a secure foundation for any other topic in maths. It supports their mental arithmetic, problem solving skills and general confidence in maths, as well as in the real world outside of school. Memorising small multiplications like 2x and 3x, then working their way up to larger multiplications will make maths much simpler for them in the long run.

Improves speed and mental maths

When children have memorised their times tables they are able to tackle complex maths problems quickly and confidently. They will recognise patterns and relationships between numbers, then accurately predict a most likely answer. This skill will support them across a range of mathematical problems but also in a range of real life scenarios. The confidence that comes from successfully learning your times tables prepares you for other mathematical challenges.

Helps to understand division, percentages and fractions.

Memorising times tables creates an understanding of how they work, this understanding creates a framework that helps to learn sequences, percentages, fractions and division, which is a reverse of multiplication. Building confidence in these key aspects of maths by year 5 will prepare your child for great success in maths, even as far as algebra and equations further down the line.

Improves problem solving skills

Multiplication is at the core of most problems in one way or the other. If not multiplication, then operations linked to it as mentioned above will be required. Having memorised the times tables allows your child to focus on the problem and the most likely solutions, as opposed to spending a large amount of time trying to find an answer, but not really solving the problem. Multiplying and dividing within problem solving tasks allows your child to work on the smallest units of the issue and then adapting the answer to a larger or smaller scale as required.

How much of the times tables should a child know?

According to the National Curriculum in England, children are expected to be able to do the following by each year.

Year 1 - children should be able to count in multiples of 2, 5 and 10.

Year 2 - children should be able to recognise odd and even numbers, as well as recall 2, 5 and 10 times tables.

Year 3 - children should be able to count in multiples of 2, 3, 4, 5 and 8. They should also be able to answer multiplication and division questions for these multiples e.g. 7 x 5 = 35. 35 / 5 = 7.

Year 4 - children should be able to remember answers to multiplication and division questions up to 12 x 12.

Year 5/6 - children should have confidently memorised all multiplication and division questions up to 12 x 12.

Multiplications Tables Check

The MTC is a key stage 2 assessment used by schools to ensure children in year 4 have learnt their times tables to the expected level. If they have not learnt it to the required level then the school will put intervention in place. Schools in England from 2021 will be able to use the Multiplication Tables Check offered by the Standards and Testing Agency. Please click here for more information on the Gov.uk website.

Our online tutors can ensure your child has learnt their times tables to the correct level and build their confidence in maths.