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How to Teach Multiplication Facts (Without Tears)

Grades: Grades 2–4 · By the BrainBucks team · Updated October 2026

Knowing the multiplication facts by heart frees up a child's attention for the harder parts of math: long division, fractions, and multi-step word problems. The goal is fluency, meaning quick and accurate recall, but the road there should start with understanding, not memorization alone.

Step 1: Make sure they understand what multiplication means

Multiplication is repeated addition: 4 × 3 means "4 groups of 3," or 3 + 3 + 3 + 3 = 12. Before drilling, have your child build groups with real objects such as coins, crackers, or LEGO bricks, and draw arrays (rows and columns). An array with 4 rows of 3 dots shows why 4 × 3 and 3 × 4 give the same answer. This is called the commutative property, and it cuts the number of facts to learn almost in half.

Step 2: Learn the easy facts first

× 0: anything times zero is zero (zero groups of anything is nothing).
× 1: anything times one is itself.
× 2: doubling. 2 × 7 is 7 + 7 = 14.
× 10: the number with a zero on the end. 10 × 6 = 60.
× 5: the answer always ends in 0 or 5. Think of counting nickels, or half of the × 10 fact: 5 × 8 is half of 80, which is 40.
× 11: for 1–9, repeat the digit. 11 × 4 = 44.

Step 3: Use patterns for the middle facts

× 4: double the double. 4 × 6 is double 6 (12), doubled again (24).
× 3: double and add one more group. 3 × 7 is 2 × 7 (14) plus 7 = 21.
× 9: the digits of the answer add up to 9 (9 × 4 = 36, and 3 + 6 = 9). The tens digit is always one less than the number being multiplied: 9 × 7 = 63 (6 is one less than 7).
× 6: if you multiply 6 by an even number, the answer ends in that same number: 6 × 4 = 24, 6 × 8 = 48. Or take the × 5 fact and add one more group.
× 8: double three times. 8 × 3: 3 → 6 → 12 → 24.

The hardest facts: for most children the stubborn ones are 6 × 7, 6 × 8, 7 × 8 and 7 × 7. Pick just those and practice them every day for a week. A classic memory trick for 7 × 8 = 56 is that the digits 5, 6, 7, 8 appear in order: "56 = 7 × 8."

Step 4: Practice in short, frequent bursts

Five to ten minutes a day beats an hour on Sunday. Mix the formats so practice stays fresh:

Flash cards: sort them into "know it," "almost," and "still learning." Only drill the "still learning" pile.
Skip counting: count by 3s, 4s and 6s in the car, on walks, or while climbing stairs.
Dice or card games: each player rolls two dice and multiplies; highest product wins the round.
Fact families: 6 × 4 = 24 also tells you 4 × 6 = 24, 24 ÷ 4 = 6 and 24 ÷ 6 = 4. Learning multiplication and division together doubles the payoff.
Timed challenges against yourself: let your child beat their own earlier time rather than comparing to anyone else.

Step 5: Keep it positive

Math anxiety often starts with timed tests that feel like a threat. Praise effort and strategy ("you used doubles, nice!") rather than speed. If a fact is missed, say the correct answer together, then ask the same fact again a minute later so the right answer is the last thing they remember.

Practice problems

7 × 6 = ?
9 × 8 = ?
4 × 12 = ?
5 × 9 = ?
8 × 8 = ?
There are 6 egg cartons with 12 eggs in each. How many eggs in all?
Fill in the blank: 3 × ___ = 27
Which is greater, 6 × 7 or 5 × 8? By how much?

Answer key

1) 42 2) 72 3) 48 4) 45 5) 64 6) 72 eggs (6 × 12) 7) 9 8) 6 × 7 = 42 and 5 × 8 = 40, so 6 × 7 is greater by 2.

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