Learning  2, 5, 10 times tables. Children are introduced to multiplication tables in Year 2 (6/7 yrs old) and the latest targets say that they should be fluent with the two times, five times and ten times tables by the end of the year.  There are many ways that times tables can be learned, but the end product will be the same; children will know the facts off by heart and be able to answer instantly. Note: knowing the two times table is not the same as being able to count up in twos. It is no good if a child has to start counting to work out what 9 x 2 is, as it will take too long. Learning the five times table will prove quite a challenge for many children who find counting up to 100 hard, let alone reciting the 5 times table. To make it even more of a challenge the table now has to be learned up to 12 times 5 rather than just 10 times 5. There is, of course, a rhythm and pattern to the five times table, as alternate answers end in zero or 5. This makes it one of the easiest times tables to learn. The ten times table is obviously the easiest to learn off by heart, but it can also be used to illustrate place value. The 5 in 50 has ten times the value of the 5 in 5. Don't ever suggest that all that needs to be done to multiply by ten is 'add a nought'. This leads to real problems in later years when multiplying decimals. Far better to say that the digit moves one place to the left and a zero is put in the units as a place holder. We have a large number of resources devoted to learning these tables and have just published another series of speed checks, which can be used to see how well the tables have been learned. Go to Year 2 Multiplication and tables worksheets