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What do teachers recommend for times tables practice at home?
The way times tables are taught has changed a lot in recent years: more and more teachers draw on cognitive science, not just traditional methods. Among teachers who follow the research, there's broad agreement.
What the research says
A review published by the Chartered College of Teaching, one of the leading sources for evidence-based teaching, points to a few consistent principles: recalling works better than re-reading or listening, it pays to mix questions from all the tables, and frequency matters more than intensity.
The review also notes that timed practice is still debated: it works mainly when children approach it with confidence rather than anxiety, and it’s generally safer to build speed first and add time pressure afterwards.
What this means in practice
Most teachers and researchers agree on this: short daily practice, mixed questions, recalling, correcting right away. The debate is about timing and pressure, not the core methods.
Try this
- Ask your child’s teacher what method they use at school, and try to follow a similar approach at home. When the two match, your child gets less confused.
- At home, focus on recalling, that is asking questions and waiting for answers, rather than on activities that feel educational but are passive, like watching times tables videos.
- If the school uses a specific app or program, ask whether you can use it at home too, or choose one that works, like TabTabTab.
Sources
- Guy, Cragg & Gilmore (2025) — expert commentary
Last reviewed: 2026-08-01