Times tables to 12 × 12: what children learn
This sprint game draws questions from every table from 2 to 12, mixing multiplication with division facts. Typing answers against the clock is good preparation for the format of the check, and the variety helps expose the facts a child does not yet know.
Multiplication enrichment through 12 × 12. The 11 and 12 tables extend beyond the one-digit multiplication facts required by 3.OA.C.7.
How to play
How many can you answer in 60 seconds? Type the answer and press Enter. Questions keep coming for 60 seconds. Type each answer and press Enter, or choose Skip. Answers can be typed with or without commas.
Step by step
- Start from the facts you already know. Children who know the 2, 3, 4, 5, 8 and 10 tables already know most facts, because 6 × 4 is the same as 4 × 6. Only a small number of facts are truly new.
- Use derived facts for the harder tables. 6 × 7 is 5 × 7 plus one more 7: 35 + 7 = 42. 9 × 8 is 10 × 8 minus one 8: 80 − 8 = 72.
- Use patterns. In the 9 times table up to 9 × 10, the digits add up to 9 (27, 36, 45). In the 11 times table up to 11 × 9, the digit repeats (44, 55). 12 × n is 10 × n plus 2 × n.
- Practice the inverse. Each fact gives two division facts: 7 × 8 = 56, so 56 ÷ 8 = 7 and 56 ÷ 7 = 8.
Worked examples
Example 1: 7 × 8 = ?
Working: 7 × 4 = 28, and double that is 56. (A rhyme: 5, 6, 7, 8 — 56 = 7 × 8.)
Answer: 56
Example 2: 12 × 6 = ?
Working: 10 × 6 = 60 and 2 × 6 = 12, so 60 + 12.
Answer: 72
Example 3: 108 ÷ 9 = ?
Working: Which number times 9 is 108? 12 × 9 = 108.
Answer: 12
Common mistakes and how to fix them
- Struggling with the same few facts: 6 × 7, 6 × 8, 7 × 8, 8 × 9 and 12 × 7. Pick two or three tricky facts each week and practice them in short daily bursts.
- Knowing multiplication but not division facts. After each multiplication, ask the matching division straight away.
- Freezing under time pressure. Build accuracy first, then speed. Celebrate beating a personal best rather than comparing with others.
Activities to try at home
- Do one 60-second sprint a day and note the score. Small daily practice is better than a long weekly session.
- Multiply numbers on car number plates or house numbers.
- Play times-table snap or bingo with a deck of fact cards.
Ideas for the classroom
- Use the printable worksheet as a weekly starter and track improvement.
- Make a multiplication square and color the facts each student knows.
- Use distributive law reasoning from the curriculum: 39 × 7 = 30 × 7 + 9 × 7.
Free printable game and worksheet
The free printable starts with a game sheet, such as a color-by-answer picture, an answer maze or a secret-code joke, followed by a worksheet. Both use the same checked questions as the online game, and the answers are on the last page. Print it, or save it as a PDF from your browser’s print menu.
Open the free printable game and worksheet
Frequently asked questions
How should I choose this game for my learner?
Multiplication enrichment through 12 × 12. The 11 and 12 tables extend beyond the one-digit multiplication facts required by 3.OA.C.7.
How should I choose this game for my learner?
Multiplication enrichment through 12 × 12. The 11 and 12 tables extend beyond the one-digit multiplication facts required by 3.OA.C.7.
Do US students learn the 11 and 12 times tables?
The Common Core asks students to know all products of two one-digit numbers from memory by the end of Grade 3 (3.OA.C.7). The 11 and 12 tables are not required, so this topic goes further.