Shortlisted Shortlisted for the Teach Primary Awards 2026

Has your child really memorized the times tables?

TabTabTab helps your child learn their times tables for good, quickly, with little effort and no tears. Times tables are remembered as words, so answering out loud helps: if the answer comes instantly, it's memorized; if not, it needs more practice. A few minutes a day is enough for lasting results, as research confirms.

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10 free sessions. No account required.

TabTabTab: home screen TabTabTab: how it works TabTabTab: response time TabTabTab: customization TabTabTab: progress

A session takes 3 minutes.

1
Choose which times tables to practice.
2
The app shows a question. Say the answer out loud.
3
If you get it wrong, the app shows and says the right answer. Then that question comes back, until you really know it.
4
At the end of the session, see exactly what you've mastered and what's still missing.

You really learn, you don't just repeat.

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At the right moment

The algorithm brings back each fact just before it would be forgotten: not too early, not too late. Tricky facts come back more often, solid ones less and less.

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3 minutes a day

A short session every day is worth more than an hour once a week. Open the app, answer 20 questions, done. Even fewer on off days.

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Targeted practice

When shaky facts pile up, the app suggests a focused review, just on those. No time wasted on what you already know.

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Progress over time

The Statistics area shows a color-coded map of every multiplication fact. Browse the full history and watch the weak spots turn green.

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The whole family

Everyone gets their own profile with separate progress. One purchase, for everyone.

Questions. Answered.

What the research says about how children learn times tables.

TabTabTab trains recall, not understanding. Building the concept of multiplication is classroom work, and it comes first.

Test Readiness

How do I prepare my child for a timed times tables test?

A timed test gives a few seconds per question: your child needs to remember, not calculate. Prepare with short daily practice, mixed questions and reviews.

Source: Ophuis-Cox (2023)

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Test Readiness

How long does it take to learn times tables?

With 3 to 5 minutes a day, most kids improve within days and know their tables well within a few weeks. Consistency matters more than session length.

Source: Mawson & Kang (2025), Rea & Modigliani (1985)

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Test Readiness

How many minutes a day should my child practice times tables?

A little and often beats a lot now and then. Three to five minutes a day is enough, as long as it happens every day or nearly.

Source: Mawson & Kang (2025)

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Test Readiness

Does a timed test measure speed or accuracy?

Both at once. In a few seconds kids have to read, remember and write. Answering out loud trains memory; the test format is practiced later.

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Test Readiness

My child gets 6ร—7 right at home but wrong on a test. Why?

On a test, time, a different setting and anxiety block working memory. A fact your child knows at home may simply not come to mind under pressure.

Source: Ashcraft & Krause (2007)

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Memory & Retention

Why does my child keep forgetting times tables?

Times tables are memories made of words: without review, they fade. Repeating them won't help. Recall them instead: a little, every day, at the right time.

Source: Dehaene & Cohen (1997), Dehaene et al. (1999), PMC (2019)

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Memory & Retention

Should my child learn one times table at a time?

Probably not. One table at a time gives false confidence. Mixing them makes practice harder, but a month later kids remember far more: 61% vs 38%.

Source: Rohrer et al. (2019), Rohrer, Dedrick & Stershic (2015), Agarwal & Agostinelli (AFT)

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Memory & Retention

Why does my child mix up 6ร—8 and 7ร—8?

Some facts are hard because they look like nearby facts, not because they're complex. Practicing the confusing pairs side by side fixes it.

Source: Dotan & Zviran-Ginat (2022), Eaves, Gilmore & Cragg (2026)

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Memory & Retention

Are times tables math or memory?

Memory. The brain stores times tables in the language areas, not the calculation ones: they're remembered best in the language they were learned in.

Source: Dehaene & Cohen (1997), Dehaene et al. (1999), Cerda et al. (2024)

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Memory & Retention

My child can recite the 7 times table but can't answer 7ร—8 quickly. Why?

Reciting a table in order is different from answering a fact asked at random. Tests ask for the second: practice with questions in random order.

Source: Soltanlou et al. (2015), Dehaene & Cohen (1997)

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Memory & Retention

Why does my child think they know their tables when they don't?

Cramming it all into one sitting gives the illusion of knowing. Sessions on different days show what your child really knows. Feeling sure isn't knowing.

Source: Emeny, Hartwig & Rohrer (2021)

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Memory & Retention

Does being good at reading help with times tables?

Yes, and it surprises many parents. Times tables are memories made of words, so children with strong language skills learn them more easily.

Source: Guy, Cragg & Gilmore (2025), Dotan & Zviran-Ginat (2022)

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Methods & Practice

Do flashcards work for times tables?

Yes, and better than chanting. In a classroom study with second graders, flashcards worked better, both right away and weeks later.

Source: Ophuis-Cox et al. (2023)

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Methods & Practice

What is spaced repetition and does it work for children?

It means reviewing each fact at the right moment, at each child's own pace. It works: studies of more than 3,000 students confirm it.

Source: Mawson & Kang (2025)

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Methods & Practice

Is it better to practice times tables every day or in longer sessions?

Every day, no question. For times tables, daily practice beats any other schedule, even with the same total time. A little and often beats long and rare.

Source: Mawson & Kang (2025), Rea & Modigliani (1985)

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Methods & Practice

Should my child say times tables out loud?

It's not essential: what matters is practicing recall. But out loud you can tell right away whether the answer is automatic: instant means memorized.

Source: Dehaene & Cohen (1997), Dehaene et al. (1999), Cerda et al. (2024)

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Methods & Practice

Does correcting mistakes immediately help?

Yes, it's crucial. Only immediate correction reduces repeated mistakes: a correction given later works no better than none at all.

Source: The Psychological Record

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Methods & Practice

What is interleaving and why does it matter for times tables?

Interleaving means mixing questions from different tables. It's harder, but it makes children remember more: a month later, 61% correct answers vs 38%.

Source: Rohrer et al. (2019), Agarwal & Agostinelli (AFT)

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Methods & Practice

Can an app replace traditional times tables practice?

Research says yes, if it uses the right mechanisms: reviews spread over time and immediate correction. What counts is the method, not session length.

Source: Jay et al. (2019)

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Methods & Practice

Does the order you learn times tables in matter?

Yes. Introducing similar facts together, like 6ร—7 and 6ร—8, causes confusion that lasts for months. Start with facts that are different from each other.

Source: Dotan & Zviran-Ginat (2022), Boutros, Mรผller, Prado & Thevenot (2025)

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Anxiety & Timing

Are timed tests bad for children?

It depends on the child. If they're ready, timing helps them get fast. If they have math anxiety, the timer can block them even when they know the answer.

Source: Ashcraft & Krause (2007), Hechinger Report (2023)

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Anxiety & Timing

Why does my child freeze when asked times tables on the spot?

Anxiety takes up the mental space needed to remember. It hits well-prepared kids hardest: the more they care about getting it right, the more they freeze.

Source: Ashcraft & Krause (2007), Pelegrina et al. (2020)

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Anxiety & Timing

My child panics during timed tests but is fine otherwise. What's happening?

For anxious kids, it's the timer, not the math, that blocks them. Practicing recall without a visible timer rebuilds confidence; speed comes later.

Source: Ashcraft & Krause (2007), Pelegrina et al. (2020)

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Anxiety & Timing

Does writing or typing speed affect timed test results?

Yes, it can: the time covers both remembering and writing, so a child who writes slowly has less margin.

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Anxiety & Timing

Why does math anxiety affect times tables more than other math?

Times tables are memories made of words, and anxiety takes up exactly the mental space needed to recall them. Other kinds of math are less affected.

Source: Ashcraft & Krause (2007), Dehaene & Cohen (1997)

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Parents & Teachers

How can I help my child with times tables?

You don't need to teach, you need to listen. Sit with your child while they practice out loud and notice which answers come fast and which come slowly.

Source: Ophuis-Cox et al. (2023), Jay et al. (2019)

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Parents & Teachers

What do teachers recommend for times tables practice at home?

Short daily sessions, mixed questions, recalling instead of repeating, correcting right away. Chanting and copying help at first, but don't build memory.

Source: Guy, Cragg & Gilmore (2025)

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Parents & Teachers

At what age do kids learn times tables?

In the US, kids learn times tables between about 7 and 9, in 2nd and 3rd grade. Around age 8 to 9, they move from counting to remembering the answers.

Source: Soltanlou et al. (2015)

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Parents & Teachers

How do I know if my child has really memorized a times table?

Speed counts, not just accuracy. If the answer takes 2 to 3 seconds, it's still slow: not memorized yet. Memorized means the answer comes right away.

Source: Dehaene & Cohen (1997)

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Parents & Teachers

Is it worth practicing times tables over the summer?

Yes: summer is one of the times kids forget the most. Five minutes every few days is enough to keep months of progress.

Source: Mawson & Kang (2025), Rea & Modigliani (1985)

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Parents & Teachers

Is memorizing times tables enough for math?

No. Knowing them instantly frees up the mind, but on its own it doesn't teach kids to use them in problems. It's a tool, not the whole toolbox.

Source: Guy, Cragg & Gilmore (2025)

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Why this app

TabTabTab listens and understands. And that makes a huge difference.

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Complete privacy.

The voice never leaves the device. Everything is processed on the phone itself: no servers, no cloud.

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No ads
no tracking
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No data collected
not even anonymously
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No subscription
one-time purchase

How to help your child learn times tables

You don't need hours of practice with tears and arguments. You need a few right things, in the right order, for a few minutes a day.

Read the guide โ†’

About

I'm Dario, a Senior UX Designer from Italy. I've spent 10+ years designing digital products for some of Europe's best-known brands. I built TabTabTab for my son. Today the app is shortlisted for the Teach Primary Awards 2026.

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3 minutes a day. Real progress.

Download on the App Store

10 free sessions. No account required.