The 5 Best Strategies for Teaching Multiplication Tables

Memorizing multiplication facts is a rite of passage — but rote drilling alone doesn't work for every student. Here are 5 strategies backed by cognitive science.

1. Skip Counting Songs

Before memorizing facts, children need to feel the patterns. Skip counting builds this foundation. Once a child can skip count by 4s, they already "know" the 4 times table.

2. Array Visualization

Arrays make multiplication visual. A 3 × 4 array is 3 rows of 4 dots. Arrays teach the commutative property (3 × 4 = 4 × 3) visually, halving the number of facts to memorize.

3. Fact Families

Fact families connect multiplication and division: 3 × 4 = 12, 4 × 3 = 12, 12 ÷ 3 = 4, 12 ÷ 4 = 3. This reduces memory load.

4. The Commutative Property Trick

Half of all multiplication facts are duplicates. If you know 3 × 7, you know 7 × 3. This reduces the 100 facts to just 55 unique facts.

5. Spaced Repetition Practice

Cramming doesn't work for long-term memory. Spaced repetition — practicing at increasing intervals — is the gold standard. KarshieKids' KarshieScore™ system automatically spaces practice based on mastery.

Bonus: The 9s Finger Trick

Hold up all 10 fingers. To find 9 × 4, put down your 4th finger. You have 3 fingers on the left and 6 on the right — 36!

🎓 Practice multiplication on KarshieKids — every times table, with adaptive difficulty and spaced repetition.