So, multiplication tables save time and free up brain space. Most of the numbers used in beginners' algebra are small, but knowing tables automatically – that is, without having to start at the beginning and count through each item – frees all our attention so that we can focus on whatever problem we have to solve. If we don't know the tables, we need much more complicated and time-consuming procedures to cut the number into smaller pieces, with the result that division is a big weakness in school arithmetic.Īlgebra also uses a great deal of division and multiplication. Knowing our tables lets us take a big bite of 7 x 5 out of it, leaving 1 as a remainder. Division calculations begin with a large number and in effect take bites out of it, beginning with the biggest bite possible. In the longer term, as well as their obvious application to multiplication, we need tables for division. Arithmetic is an extension of counting – learning the most efficient ways of calculating allows us to deal with larger numbers, and eventually with much larger numbers, without the slow process of moving backwards and forwards, one number at a time.

Early maths starts with counting, and the way we organise it almost certainly stems from our first mathematical aid, our fingers. When you give them the answer, they'll see immediately why we learn tables. You might like to use a watch with a seconds hand, or a stopwatch if your child likes such things. Why learn times tables? Play a little game with your son or daughter, counting up to 20 and seeing how long it takes.

12 multiplication table up to 20