Use and Apply Times Tables

You have made the brilliant decision to practice for your SATs maths test.

In this activity, you will spend some time practising times tables and the division facts that relate to these.

Why do you need to know your times tables I hear you ask?!

Well, there are many reasons why:

Times tables help you to do quick mental calculations and problem-solving. If you know that 7 x 3 = 21, you can use this to help you complete 70 x 3 = 210.

You use times tables in everyday life all the time, for instance when working out how many chairs there are to sit on in the hall or when calculating how to share a packet of sweets.

Which times tables do you need to know?

By the end of Year 4, you should know all of the times tables up to and including the 12 x table. So, by the time you take the Year 6 SATs, you feel very confident in all of the times tables.

You also need to know the division facts that go with the times table fact.

For example: 4 x 2 = 8 or, 2 x 4 = 8 and 8 ÷ 2 = 4, or 8 ÷ 4 = 2.

How can you learn the times tables?

Practise, practise, practise!

Learning the times tables is a great way to train your brain! 

You may like to learn them through repetition of writing them down or chanting.

You may prefer to play games or ask an adult to test you.

Let's now run through some times table questions.