Times tables that stick
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What you will learn
By the end, you can find any times-table fact by counting in steps or picturing rows, and turn it round to divide.
Dev built a robot that packs cupcakes 4 to a box. Six boxes roll off the belt. Dev does not count 24 cupcakes one by one; he counts in fours: 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, 24. Done.
Read the explanation
A times table is counting in equal groups. 6 × 4 means 6 groups of 4. An array shows it as rows: 6 rows of 4 dots. Turn the array on its side and you see 4 rows of 6, the same 24 dots, so 6 × 4 = 4 × 6.
- Every fact you learn gives you two: 3 × 8 = 24 and 8 × 3 = 24.
- Division is the times table backwards: 24 ÷ 4 = 6 because 6 × 4 = 24.
- Build from facts you know: 6 × 4 is 5 × 4 = 20 plus one more 4.