A multiplication chart, sometimes called a times tables grid, is one of the simplest and most powerful learning tools available. Far from being a crutch that stops children thinking, when used well it reveals the hidden structure of multiplication and turns abstract facts into visible patterns. In this guide we explain how to read a multiplication chart, how to use it to spot the patterns that make learning easier, and how to move a child from relying on the chart to knowing the facts by heart.
A standard chart is a grid with the numbers one to twelve along the top and down the side. Each cell shows the product of its row and column headings. To find six times seven, a child follows the row for six across and the column for seven down until the two meet at forty-two.
This simple layout contains every multiplication fact up to twelve times twelve in one place, which makes it perfect for exploring how the facts relate to one another.
Begin by showing your child how to trace a row and a column with their fingers until they meet. Practise finding a few facts together until the movement feels natural. This physical act of locating an answer helps cement the idea that multiplication combines two numbers.
Encourage your child to say the whole fact aloud as they find it — “six times seven is forty-two” — rather than just reading the number, so that the language of multiplication becomes familiar.
The real magic of the chart is the patterns it reveals. Ask your child what they notice. They may see that the answers in the 5 column all end in five or zero, that the even tables produce only even numbers, or that the 9 times table’s answers have digits that add up to nine.
One of the most useful discoveries is symmetry. Because six times seven equals seven times six, the grid is a mirror image along its diagonal. Once a child grasps this, they realise they only need to learn about half of the chart, which is a hugely encouraging thought.
The diagonal line running from top left to bottom right holds the square numbers: one, four, nine, sixteen, twenty-five and so on. These are the answers when a number is multiplied by itself. Highlighting this diagonal gives children a memorable landmark and a foundation for later work on areas and square roots.
Learning the squares as a set is a satisfying mini-goal that also happens to cover some of the trickier facts.
A chart should be a stepping stone, not a permanent aid. Once a child can find facts easily, encourage them to predict an answer before checking it on the chart. This turns the chart into a self-marking tool and gently shifts the work from reading to recalling.
Gradually cover parts of the chart, or challenge your child to fill in a blank grid from memory. Our interactive Multiplication Chart highlights rows and columns as you explore, making pattern-spotting easy, and pairs naturally with Practice Mode when it is time to test recall.
Not if you use it to build understanding and then gradually reduce reliance on it. The chart shows how facts connect; combined with recall practice, it accelerates memorisation rather than replacing it.
A twelve-by-twelve grid covers the full range required in primary school. For younger children you might begin by focusing on the first few rows and columns before revealing the whole grid.
Colour in patterns, cover cells and predict answers, or use our online interactive chart, which highlights rows and columns as you hover so relationships between facts stand out clearly.
You can find more articles like this on the Times Table Hero blog.