Multiplication Chart

This multiplication chart shows every times table from 1 to 12 on one clean page. Find a number on the left, find a number along the top, and your answer is where the row and the column meet. So 7 times 8 meets at 56. Print the PDF and keep it in a binder or tape it to a desk.

It is a helpful tool for third and fourth graders, and handy for anyone who wants a quick check.

How to read a multiplication chart

Let us try 6 times 9. Put one finger on the 6 in the left column. Put another on the 9 in the top row. Slide them toward each other until they meet. Both fingers land on 54. That is all there is to it.

The order does not matter. Try 9 times 6 and you land on 54 again. This is the first big secret of the chart, and it means you only need to learn about half of it.

Patterns that make it easier

• The 10s row always ends in a zero.
• The 5s row ends in a 5 or a 0.
• In the 9s row, the digits add up to 9, as in 27 and 36.
• The 11s row doubles the digit up to 9 times 11, which is 99.
• The diagonal shows the square numbers, such as 49 and 64.

Kids often think they must remember 144 separate facts. Once they spot these patterns, the job shrinks fast. The colored idea on this page marks the square numbers in pink, so the diagonal is easy to see.

Learn the times tables in small steps

Start with the 2s, 5s and 10s, since they are the easiest. Move on to the 3s and 4s. Save the 6s, 7s and 8s for last. Do a few minutes a day. Short daily practice beats one long session on a Sunday night.

Say the facts out loud. Clap along or walk around the room while you count. Many kids learn faster when their body is moving, and it feels less like homework.

Using the chart in class

Teachers can let students keep this chart while they learn new skills like long division. It frees their minds to focus on the new steps. Over time, most children use it less and less, as the facts stick. That is the goal.

Ask students to hunt for patterns and color them in. A class chart on the wall makes a useful reference, and printing it in color at poster size is cheap at a copy shop. You can read more about the multiplication table and its long history on Wikipedia.

Make the chart last in a backpack

Print it at full size so the small numbers stay sharp. Card stock lasts much longer in a backpack. A clear plastic sleeve protects it from spills, and you can write on it with a dry erase marker.

Games that make the facts stick

Use two dice to play a quick game. Roll them, multiply the numbers and find the answer on your multiplication chart. Color that square. The first player to color five squares in a row wins. You can also play with a deck of cards. Take out the face cards, flip two at a time and race to say the answer first.

Skip counting songs help many children too. Sing the 3s or the 4s to a tune they already know, and walk up the stairs one fact per step. Try a quick fact at the door each morning before the shoes go on, and offer a high five for each right answer.

Kids sometimes feel behind if a friend learns faster. Remind them that speed is not the same as being good at math. Some of the best math thinkers are slow and careful. What matters is that the facts become easy over time, so that the brain is free for bigger ideas.

Keep practicing

Test yourself with the blank multiplication chart, where you fill in the answers. Build number sense with a dot to dot, or find more in our free printables for kids.

Questions