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Times tables 1 to 12: the order to learn them and the patterns to spot
England, Ireland, the US and Canada teach tables to 12; France and Germany stop at 10. Whichever your school uses, the tables are easier in a different order from the one on the wall chart.
Why 12 and not 10
Twelve survives from money and measurement: twelve pence, twelve inches, dozens. In England the national curriculum expects recall to 12 × 12 by the end of Year 4, and the Multiplication Tables Check tests it. American 3rd and 4th grade standards also run to 12. In France, Belgium, Germany and Japan, 10 is the target and 11 and 12 are treated as "beyond the table" — you multiply by 10 and add.
A better order than 1, 2, 3…
Group tables by how they are built, not by their size.
- 2, 10, 5 — patterns a six-year-old can hear: doubling, adding a zero, ending in 0 or 5.
- 4 and 8 — double the 2s, then double the 4s.
- 3, 6, 9 — the 6s are double the 3s; the 9s have digits that add to 9 and a tens digit one less than the multiplier.
- 11 — a free table up to 9 (11 × 4 = 44), two small exceptions after.
- 7 and 12 — last, because they have the fewest shortcuts. By now most of their facts are already known from the other tables.
The pattern in each table
Patterns are not a substitute for recall, but they are a safety net when a fact goes missing under pressure: the 5s end in 0 or 5; every product in the 6s is even and, for even multipliers, ends in that multiplier (6 × 4 = 24, 6 × 8 = 48); the 9s go 09, 18, 27, 36 — tens up, units down; the 12s are the 10s plus the 2s (12 × 7 = 70 + 14).
Practising tables one at a time in Kalko
Learn mode is organised by table, so the order above is just a matter of which button to tap next.
- Set the range. Tables 1–10 are on by default. For a UK or US curriculum, a parent opens Settings → Learning range → 1–12.
- Open Learn. From Home, tap Learn → Multiplication. The table picker shows 1 to 10 (or 12).
- Read, then practise. Tap a table to see all its facts on one screen. Then Practice → Set Up & Start: 5 questions, Easy.
- Move on when it is 5/5 twice. Two perfect rounds on different days is a reasonable test that a table has stuck. Then pick the next one in the order above.
- Mix in Challenge. The Multiplication challenge levels shuffle tables and require typed answers — the final check that the facts are known out of sequence.
Trophies mark milestones along the way (first quiz, 10 quizzes, 25 quizzes…), which gives a child a reason to come back for the harder tables.
Download on the App StoreTips
- Learn each fact with its reverse: 12 tables become about 78 distinct facts, not 144.
- Put the hard facts on the fridge: 6 × 7, 7 × 8, 8 × 9, 6 × 8, 12 × 12 account for a large share of mistakes.
- For a French or German school, stop at 10 and treat 11 and 12 as a bonus — the app's default range matches.
Questions about tables to 12
Do children need to know the 11 and 12 times tables?
In England, the US and Canada, yes — they are in the curriculum and in the Year 4 check. In France and Germany they are not required; the app's default range of 1–10 reflects that.
What is the hardest times table?
Surveys of children and MTC data agree: 7, 8 and 12, with 6 × 7, 7 × 8 and 8 × 12 among the most-missed facts.
Can I limit practice to one table?
Yes. Learn mode practises one table at a time; Practice and Challenge mix them.