Why are times tables so important?

Secure and confident knowledge of times tables is vital to children’s success in Maths. They are the building blocks of Maths and with multiplications mastered the doors to many other areas of Maths become unlocked!

Here are some ways which memorising times tables can benefit your child:

• Most importantly, knowing their times tables will give your child confidence in their ability in Maths. We aim for all children to be able to mentally recall their times tables, moving away from counting on their fingers as they become more confident.
• Times tables can help your child to grasp other mathematical concepts, such as fractions, division, ratio and percentages to name a few. Children who do not know their times tables will not be able to access more complex procedures.
• If a child is confident with their times table skills, then this can reduce the cognitive load when learning a new method. An example of this is when learning the long multiplication method; if a child is already confident with their times tables then they can solely focus on the new skills with the method, e.g. where to carry numbers, when a place value holder is needed, estimating and checking that their answer is correct. This will not only help to ensure that their calculations are accurate, but speed up the process of learning a new method and also boost their confidence as they see that they have been successful. 

Expectations for times tables for each year group:

What is the Year 4 Times Tables Test?

The Year 4 Times Tables Test, known by the government and schools as the Year 4 Multiplication Tables Check (MTC), is an annual check to see if Year 4 pupils in England and Wales have a good level of times tables knowledge.  Primary-school children are expected to know all their times tables up to 12x12. Under the current National Curriculum, children are supposed to know their times tables by the end of Year 4.

Why has the test been put in place?

The DfE says that the check is part of a new focus on mastering numeracy, giving children the skills and knowledge they need for secondary school and beyond. The purpose of the MTC is to determine whether Y4 pupils can recall their multiplication tables fluently (being able to answer times tables questions accurately and quickly, without having to work out the answers).

What is the Year 4 times tables test’s format?

The Multiplication Tables Check is an online, on-screen digital assessment meaning the children will take the test on a desktop computer, laptop or tablet (such as an iPad) at school. 

The times tables test will be timed, with the entire assessment lasting approximately 5 minutes in total. The children will be set a handful of practice questions to begin with. Following the practice questions, the test itself will comprise of 25 questions; children must answer each question within 6 seconds so the whole test will take less than 5 minutes.

How will the results be reported?

Pupils' individual results will be made available to schools, and the Department for Education will report national results to track how they change over time. Schools will be required to report the results to parents or carers.

What happens if my child does not score very highly on the test?

There will be no "pass mark" (expected standard threshold) and no child will "fail" the test. Multiplication facts will be the only things tested (there will be no testing of children's knowledge of division facts or problem-solving in the check).

The DfE says the purpose of the check is to help teachers identify which children are falling behind and target areas where they’re not being given a chance to succeed.

How can I help my child?

Times tables are learnt best when learnt regularly and in short bursts. At Bishop Monkton, we use 'Times Tables Rock Stars' to help learn multiplication and division tables. This interactive tool is a fun way of learning times tables facts as well as being highly addictive! The children are able to play against their friends and teachers.

The 'Sound Check' area of the website has been designed specifically in order to support the Year 4 Multiplication Tables Check.

Times Tables Top Tips! 

It may seem a daunting task to learn so many multiplication facts, but because of the commutative property of multiplication, there are fewer facts than you may think. For example, 3 x 4 and 4 x 3 give the same answer so you need to only learn this once.

Zero Times Table

Anything multiplied by zero will always equal zero. Multiplication is repeated addition so 3 x 0 is 0 + 0 + 0, which equals 0.

One Times Table

Any number multiplied by one is itself.

Two Times Table

Any number multiplied by two is double the number. 7 x 2 =14 7 + 7 = 14 double 7 is 14.

Three Times Table

Digits within this times table add up to multiples of 3. For example: 3, 6, 9, 12 (1+2=3), 15 (1+5=6), 18 (1+8=9) 21 (2+1=3), 24 (2+4=6) etc. The numbers also follow the pattern of: odd, even, odd, even (3,6,9,12).

Four Times Table

The four times table is double the two times table. 4 x 2 = 8, 4 x 4 = 16, 16 is double 8. Alternatively the fours can be thought of as double double. So double 3 (6) and double again (12) is the same as 3 x 4 = 12.

Five Times Table

All multiples of 5 end in five or zero. For even numbers (e.g. 8 x 5) you can halve the number (4) and then put a zero after it (40). For odd numbers (e.g. 7 x 5) you can subtract one from the number (6), halve it (3) and then put a 5 after it (35). Any odd number times 5 ends in a 5. Any even number times 5 ends in 0.

Six Times Table

The six times table is double the three times table. So 5 x 3 = 15, 5 x 6 = 30, 30 is double 15.

Seven Times Table

Combine the 5 and the 2 times table: 7 x 4 = 28 or (5x4) + (2x4) = 28.

Eight Times Table

The eight times table is double the four times table. So 7 x 4 = 28, 7 x 8 = 56, 56 is double 28. The units in the multiples of eight also go down in twos. 8, 16, 24, 32, 40, 48, 56, 64, 72, 80 (8, 6, 4, 2, 0, 8, 6, 4, 2, 0).

Nine Times Tables

Fingers can be used to work out the nine times table up to 10 x 9. The first finger is put down for 1 x 9 and the remaining fingers show 9 units (1 x 9 =9). Then the second finer is put down for 2 x 9 and the remaining fingers show 1 ten (to the left) and 8 units (to the right) which equals 18, and so on.

The digits found in the multiples of nine when added together also equal nine. For example: 9 = 9, 18 (1 + 8) = 9, 27 (2 + 7) = 9, 36 (3 + 6) = 9, 45 (4 + 5) = 9 etc.

Ten Times Table

All the digits in the ten times table end in zero.

Eleven Times Table

Most of the multiples in the eleven times table are recalled by putting two of the number side by side. 7 x 11 = 77, 8 x 11 =88.

Twelve Times Table

The units in the twelve times table go up in twos. 12, 24, 36, 48, 60, 72, 84, 96, 108, 120, 132, 144 (2, 4, 6, 8, 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 0). The multiples of 12 are also the multiples of 10 and the multiples of 2 combined.