Should my child say times tables out loud?

Saying the answer out loud might seem like a preference rather than a method. The research suggests it's one of the most important choices you can make in how your child practices.

What the research says

The case for verbal answers has two independent foundations. First, times tables are stored as verbal memories in the language regions of the brain — saying the answer out loud engages the same system used for storage and retrieval, reinforcing the memory trace more directly than writing or tapping.

Second, voice answers provide immediate, unambiguous signal about whether a fact is memorized: if the answer comes before the child has time to think, it’s automatic. If there’s a visible pause, it isn’t. This information is invisible when a child types.

What this means in practice

Saying the answer out loud is not just a style preference — it’s a more direct form of retrieval practice, and it gives parents and teachers better information about actual recall speed.

Try this

• Ask for the full sentence: “eight times seven is fifty-six.” The verbal sequence strengthens the whole memory, not just the number.
• Listen for hesitation rather than just accuracy. A slow correct answer is a different signal from a fast correct answer.
• If your child mouths the answer before speaking it, that’s a sign the retrieval is happening — let it complete before moving on.

TabTabTab trains recall, not understanding. Building the concept of multiplication — arrays, repeated addition, commutativity — is classroom work, and it comes first.

Last reviewed: 2026-08-01