My child can't memorise the times tables. What can I do?

First, find where they are stuck

"Can't memorise them" can mean quite different things, and each needs a different approach:

• Not understood: they don't know 4 × 6 means 4 sixes, and are reciting a string of sounds.
• Not fluent yet: they understand it, but count up from the start, so it's slow.
• Afraid of mistakes: they know it, but go blank as soon as they're asked.

Every child has their own pace

Children's memory and attention develop at different speeds, so a classmate who learns them faster doesn't mean your child is behind. Younger children can also concentrate for less time, and long sessions often don't work well.

If your child understands what multiplying means and is simply slower, there's usually little to worry about. Short, regular practice brings it along.

How to practise

• Start with the easy ones: 2, 5 and 10, then 3 and 4, and leave 6, 7, 8 and 9 until last.
• Use swaps: knowing 3 × 7 means knowing 7 × 3, so there's nearly half as much to learn.
• Five minutes a day beats an hour at the weekend.
• Focus on the slowest few rather than starting from the top each time.

Try to avoid

• Comparing your child with siblings or classmates.
• Using recitation as a punishment. Children come to link maths with feeling bad.
• Asking again and again when your child is already tense. Pause, and switch to an easy one.

When to look closer

If there's no progress after a long stretch of practice, or your child finds it very hard to remember things in other subjects too, talk to their teacher about how things go in class, and seek professional advice if needed.