Times tables at home, Year 2 to Year 6: what to learn when

What each year learns

• Year 2: the 2, 5 and 10 times tables, and number bonds to 20.
• Year 3: the 3, 4 and 8 times tables, and using the facts both ways round (multiplying and dividing).
• Year 4: every table up to 12 × 12, and the Multiplication Tables Check in June.
• Year 5: squares and cubes, factors, multiples and primes, and multiplying and dividing by 10, 100 and 1,000.
• Year 6: decimals, fractions of amounts, percentages and the order of operations.

The Multiplication Tables Check

In June of Year 4, children sit a short online check: 25 questions, six seconds each, drawn from every table up to 12 × 12 with more questions from the 6, 7, 8, 9 and 12 tables. It is not a pass-or-fail test, and schools use it to see which facts need more practice.

Dates and details are set by the Department for Education and can change, so check with your child's school.

A five-minute routine

• One table at a time until it is solid, then mix it with the ones already known.
• Say the fact out loud both ways: 7 × 8 = 56 and 56 ÷ 8 = 7.
• A short timed burst at the end: a 60-second Sprint gives a score and a best streak to beat tomorrow.
• Praise the streak and the effort, not the speed, and stop before it stops being fun.

What PrepAcer gives you

Number Ninjas has a topic for each year group's tables and mental maths, a short explanation after every answer with the trick that makes the fact quick, and 60-second Sprints including a Multiplication Tables Check sprint at the real pace. A parent sets everything up and your child needs only a username.