I’m gonna level with you.
Math sucks.
It’s hard! We all remember it from our school days—or maybe you’re still in your school days, living the struggle. (If this is the case, good for you for actually researching how to memorize multiplication tables better and faster, rather than just fighting through like most other kids!)
Anyway, like I was saying, math sucks because it’s hard. But something amazing happens when you actually understand what’s going on in class: it stops sucking and kinda becomes fun.
So, the earlier on you—or your kids or students—get comfortable with numbers, the better. And an essential part of being awesome at math is memorizing your multiplication tables.
Since you’re here, I’m assuming you want to do that as fast and as painlessly as humanly possible. Great, you’re in exactly the right place!
Let’s start with the most important piece of advice on how to memorize multiplication tables; and that’s by using the right tool to commit them to memory TWICE or even FIVE times as fast as any other learning or study technique you may be using…
Tip # 1 for memorizing multiplication tables: use flashcards!
I’m not going to beat around the bush here: the fastest way to memorize multiplication tables is to use flashcards. One flashcard per sum, with the question on one side and the answer on the other.
But before you bee-line for the craft closet and start making flashcards on squares of cardboard, I have a much better suggestion. (Paper flashcards are SO last century.) Download a free flashcard app like Brainscape. Not only will you save a tree, you’ll also jump your learning speed by an order of magnitude.
Because flashcards apps like Brainscape deliver the information to your brain the way it was biologically designed to receive and remember information, thereby literally scientifically optimizing your learning.
Also, flashcard apps:
- Make creating flashcards really fast: literally, a few seconds per card as opposed to a minute or more per paper card
- Make finding already-made flashcards really easy, saving you the time on making them yourself. (Here’s Brainscape’s set of Multiplication Tables flashcards)
- Are super fun to play with, using learner stats, frequent progress meters, and daily streaks to show you how quickly you’re progressing.
- Can go with you wherever you go, empowering you to work on memorizing your multiplication tables (or study for any subject, really) no matter where you are, even offline.
So, while the other kids in your class are put-putting along through their multiplication tables, with a flashcard app like Brainscape, you’ll have the high-octane fuel you need to rocket right past them. Your teachers will love you, your parents will be impressed, and your classmates will want to know what secret sauce you’ve got stashed in your lunchbox!
You can get those premade Multiplication Tables flashcards here.
Also, don’t miss out on our free multiplication tables to print (above). Remember, the more you’re exposed to information, the quicker you’ll ingrain it in your memory; so print this resource and stick it above your desk, in your books, or even on the walls of your bedroom or classroom! (Click here to download our multiplication tables of 1 to 12 and 13 to 24.)
Tip # 2 Configure your studies to deliver on your goals
Cool, so now that you have the ultimate study tool to learn your multiplication tables faster than you and your friends can hoover down a party pack of nacho cheese Doritos, here are a couple of important tips for using them in school if you’re a student, or with your kids if you’re a parent or teacher…
Specify the multiplication tables you want to drill yourself on
In Brainscape, once you’ve added the Multiplication Tables flashcards to your dashboard, and clicked on the class, you’ll see all the decks laid out in front of you, from 1 through 13, for school; and from 14 through 25, for those of you who are motivated to REALLY improve your dexterity with numbers, maybe because you want to practice for your next math olympiad or work for NASA one day.
If you only want to drill yourself on the multiplication tables of 1 through 12—as is required by the standard school curriculum—simply check the circles to the left-hand side of the decks from 1 through 12. Anything you haven’t checked won’t be included when you hit the blue ‘study button’.
Set your multiplication tables quiz to “Random” mode
If you’re bored of moving progressively through your multiplication tables then, at the top of your class dashboard (right above the very first deck), change the setting to “Random” mode. This’ll spit a random mix of flashcards at you from all across the multiplication tables you want to memorize.
I’ll let you in on a little secret: studying this way may seem harder because it’s compelling your brain to jump around a lot, but it is, according to science, the fastest way to deeply know and remember your multiplication tables. That’s why we’d encourage you to switch to “random” mode as soon as you’re able to.
Uncheck the multiplication tables that are too easy for you
Finally, go that little bit further by unchecking the decks for the multiplication tables of 1 and 10 because those might be a little too easy at your level. Or not! It’s totally up to you to curate the study experience you want and need.
Alternatively, if you’re the parent of a young kid, you might only check decks 1, 2, and 3 because anything higher than 4 is above their current skill level. But, as your kid progresses, you can add higher and higher multiplication tables and drop out the lower ones.
Do you see how customizable this study experience is? So make sure you select which decks you want to study and Brainscape will quiz you on those multiplication tables until you have them drilled deeply in your noodle.
Tip # 3 Study your multiplication tables a little bit every day
If you spend just 15 minutes every day practicing multiplication table quizzes or flashcards, I can just about guarantee you that you’ll be fluent within weeks and quick to the draw anytime your teacher asks you a sum.
The reason so many kids struggle with how to memorize multiplication tables is that they stare at a piece of paper with all the sums laid out, reciting them over and over again, trying to cram all those little black-and-white numbers into their heads so they can pass a math quiz the next day. Then, once the quiz is over, they'll let weeks go by without looking at their tables... and then they end up totally forgetting everything.
But if you make multiplication table practice a part of your day, every day—whether it’s 5 minutes on the school bus, 5 minutes before bed at night, or 10 minutes as part of your homework—you’ll build such a solid working memory of these sums, you’ll never, ever forget them.
Pro tip: you can set up study reminders in Brainscape, which sends you a push notification to your phone when it’s been a day since you last studied to remind you to get back to your multiplication tables flashcards, even if it’s just for 5 minutes. You can also customize the time of day you’d prefer to receive these reminders. This way, you can keep up your daily study streak and learn your multiplication tables 2-5 times faster than anyone else in your class!
Final thoughts on how to memorize multiplication tables
So there you have it: the best tips for memorizing multiplication tables FAST!
When we first set out to write this article, we considered the enormous variety of tricks and games used by students, parents, and teachers, from mnemonic devices and visual aids to stories and colorful grids. These kinds of tools are much more fun than staring at a piece of paper with numbers scrawled on it. But they’re also more distracting from the ultimate goal of instantly recalling the answer to a multiplication table sum.
After all, do you want to have to recite a rhyme or draw out a grid before you’re able to do that? Or do you want the answer to pop into your head instantaneously? If so, smart, digital flashcards are the fastest way to get there. And this is because they’re scientifically optimized to work with your brain to help you learn so much faster than any other learning method!
