If your child is working through their times tables, the 10 times table is the perfect place to build real confidence — fast.
Most children recognise that multiplying by 10 “adds a zero,” but that surface-level understanding often falls apart when speed is needed. When they’re sitting a KS2 maths test or playing Hit the Button, those extra seconds of hesitation add up.
This guide gives you a clear, daily practice plan to help children aged 5–11 move from uncertain to automatic with the 10 times table. Whether you’re a parent looking for home support, a teacher planning a short daily starter, or a child who wants to get faster — this is for you.
By the end, you’ll have a step-by-step routine, clever memory tricks, common mistake fixes, and a set of practice questions to test what’s been learned.
What Is the 10 Times Table?
The 10 times table is simply counting in groups of 10.
When you multiply any number by 10, you’re asking: “What is this number worth if I have 10 of them?”
Examples:
- 3 × 10 = 30 (three groups of ten = thirty)
- 7 × 10 = 70 (seven groups of ten = seventy)
- 12 × 10 = 120 (twelve groups of ten = one hundred and twenty)
For younger children (KS1), think of it like counting 10p coins:
- 1 coin = 10p
- 4 coins = 40p
- 9 coins = 90p
That’s the 10 times table in real life — and children already understand it without realising.
Why the 10 Times Table Matters
It’s the Foundation for Everything Else
The 10 times table sits at the heart of the entire number system. Once a child understands it deeply, the following become much easier:
- The 5 times table (half of the 10s)
- The 20 times table (double the 10s)
- Multiplying by 100 and 1,000
- Percentages and decimals (10% of a number = divide by 10)
- Mental maths and estimation
In the KS2 National Curriculum, children are expected to know all times tables up to 12 × 12 by the end of Year 4. The Multiplication Tables Check (MTC) in Year 4 tests speed and accuracy — exactly what tools like Hit the Button maths are designed to build.
The Cognitive Benefit
When a child knows their 10 times table automatically, their working memory is freed up. Instead of calculating 7 × 10 from scratch during a word problem, their brain can focus on the actual reasoning required.
Automaticity = more brain space for harder thinking.
Step-by-Step Learning Guide: The Daily 10 Times Table Routine
This plan works in 5–10 minutes a day. Consistency beats length every time.
Step 1: Build the Pattern (Day 1–2)
Explanation: Start by helping your child see the pattern, not just memorise answers.
Write out the 10 times table together:
| Sum | Answer |
|---|---|
| 1 × 10 | 10 |
| 2 × 10 | 20 |
| 3 × 10 | 30 |
| 4 × 10 | 40 |
| 5 × 10 | 50 |
| 6 × 10 | 60 |
| 7 × 10 | 70 |
| 8 × 10 | 80 |
| 9 × 10 | 90 |
| 10 × 10 | 100 |
| 11 × 10 | 110 |
| 12 × 10 | 120 |
Ask your child: “What do you notice?”
They should spot:
- Every answer ends in a zero
- The tens digit matches the number being multiplied
- The answers count up in tens
Mini tip: Point to the tens digit in each answer and say the number aloud — 1, 2, 3, 4… It’s literally just counting.
Step 2: Say It Out Loud (Day 3–4)
Explanation: Verbal repetition builds audio memory. This is different from visual memory and makes recall faster under pressure.
Chant the table together: “One ten is ten. Two tens are twenty. Three tens are thirty…”
Then mix it up — call out a random question and have your child respond:
- “What’s 6 times 10?” → “Sixty!”
- “What’s 9 times 10?” → “Ninety!”
Example game: You say the answer, they say the question. “Eighty!” → “8 times 10!”
Mini tip: Do this in the car, during breakfast, or on a walk. Short and repeated beats long and occasional.
Step 3: Write It From Memory (Day 5–6)
Explanation: Now remove the visual support. Ask your child to write the full table from 1 × 10 to 12 × 10 without looking.
Time them. Write the time down.
The next day, time them again.
Watching their own time improve is incredibly motivating for children.
Example: If Day 5 takes 2 minutes, and Day 6 takes 90 seconds, that’s real, visible progress.
Mini tip: Don’t correct during the exercise. Let them finish, then check together.
Step 4: Mixed and Random Practice (Day 7+)
Explanation: Presenting questions in order (1, 2, 3, 4…) creates a false sense of security. Children are often following the pattern, not recalling facts.
Start presenting questions out of order:
- 7 × 10 = ?
- 11 × 10 = ?
- 3 × 10 = ?
Then introduce the inverse (division):
- 50 ÷ 10 = ?
- 90 ÷ 10 = ?
- 120 ÷ 10 = ?
Mini tip: This is exactly what Hit the Button does — random, fast-paced questions that build genuine recall rather than pattern-following.
Easy Tricks and Shortcuts
The Zero Rule (and Why It’s Incomplete)
Most children learn: “Just add a zero.”
This works for whole numbers — 6 × 10 = 60 ✔
But it breaks down with decimals: 0.5 × 10 = 5 (not 0.50).
Teach the better rule early: multiply by 10 = move all digits one place to the left.
This works for every number and sets up decimal understanding at KS2.
The Place Value Trick
Use a simple place value chart:
| Hundreds | Tens | Ones |
|---|---|---|
| 4 |
Multiply 4 × 10 → the digit moves one column left:
| Hundreds | Tens | Ones |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | 0 |
The answer is 40. The zero is a placeholder, not “added.”
Counting in Tens on a Number Line
For KS1 children who aren’t ready for formal multiplication, a number line to 120 with marks at every 10 is a powerful visual. Counting 5 jumps of 10 = 50. That’s 5 × 10.
Common Mistakes and How to Fix Them
Mistake 1: “Adding a zero” only — then failing with larger numbers
Why it happens: It’s a shortcut taught without explanation. Fix: Teach place value shift instead. Show what “adding a zero” actually means.
Mistake 2: Confusing × 10 with × 100
Why it happens: Children see “move the digits” and overdo it. Fix: Use a physical place value chart. Count the columns moved — one column = × 10, two columns = × 100.
Mistake 3: Answering in order rather than from memory
Why it happens: The pattern (10, 20, 30…) makes sequential recall easy but random recall hard. Fix: Always practise out of order after the first two days.
Mistake 4: Forgetting the inverse (division)
Why it happens: Multiplication is taught first and division feels separate. Fix: Introduce ÷ 10 on Day 7 alongside the multiplication. “If 6 × 10 = 60, then 60 ÷ 10 = 6.”
Mistake 5: Rushing and guessing
Why it happens: Timed games create anxiety and children panic. Fix: Start with untimed practice, then introduce timing once the facts feel secure. Build confidence before speed.
Mistake 6: Ignoring 11 × 10 and 12 × 10
Why it happens: Many children only practise up to 10 × 10. Fix: Explicitly include 11s and 12s from the start. The MTC tests up to 12 × 12.
Mistake 7: Inconsistent practice
Why it happens: Maths practice is often left to school alone. Fix: Five minutes daily at home, even just verbal questions, makes a measurable difference within two weeks.
Fun Practice Methods
At Home
- Coin counting: Lay out groups of 10p coins. Count the total. “3 groups — that’s 3 times 10, so 30p.”
- 10-step challenges: Every time your child takes 10 steps somewhere, multiply by a random number. “If each step was 10 metres, how far is 7 steps?”
- Whiteboard timer drills: Write 12 random 10× questions. How fast can they answer all 12 correctly?
In the Classroom
- Ping-pong questions: Teacher says a number, child says the × 10 answer. Fast and energetic.
- 10× bingo: Each child has a card with multiples of 10. Teacher calls out the multiplication, child crosses off the answer.
- Live number lines: Tape a number line on the floor. Children hop in jumps of 10.
Real-Life Applications
- Counting money (10p, £1 = 10 × 10p)
- Checking scores in games (scored 7 goals, each worth 10 points = 70 points)
- Reading times tables charts at the supermarket (packets of 10 items)
Practise This Skill Using Hit the Button
Once the foundations are solid, Hit the Button is one of the most effective tools available for building times table speed.
Hit the Button is a free, interactive maths game designed for KS1 and KS2 children. The game presents multiplication (and division) questions rapidly on screen — and the child has to hit the correct answer button before time runs out.
Here’s why it works so well for the 10 times table specifically:
Speed: The game forces quick recall rather than calculated thinking. After enough rounds, “7 × 10” produces “70” automatically — no working out needed.
Accuracy: Unlike a worksheet, Hit the Button gives instant feedback. Wrong answer? The correct one flashes up immediately. This creates rapid error correction.
Confidence: Children can see their score improve over sessions. That visible progress is motivating in a way that a page of sums often isn’t.
Variety: The Hit the Button times tables mode includes multiplication, division, doubles, halves, and number bonds — so children can extend beyond just the 10× table once it’s mastered.
How to use it in a daily routine:
- Do 2 minutes of verbal practice first (cold recall)
- Play 3–5 minutes of Hit the Button on the 10× table
- Note the score
- Try to beat it tomorrow
This routine takes under 10 minutes and targets both memory and processing speed.
Practice Questions
Try these without looking at the table. Answers are at the bottom.
Multiplication:
- 4 × 10 = ?
- 7 × 10 = ?
- 11 × 10 = ?
- 9 × 10 = ?
- 12 × 10 = ?
- 2 × 10 = ?
Division: 7. 80 ÷ 10 = ? 8. 110 ÷ 10 = ? 9. 30 ÷ 10 = ?
Mixed / Word Problems: 10. A bag holds 10 apples. How many apples in 6 bags? 11. There are 90 children split into equal groups of 10. How many groups? 12. Each page has 10 questions. How many questions across 8 pages?
Answers:
- 40 | 2. 70 | 3. 110 | 4. 90 | 5. 120 | 6. 20
- 8 | 8. 11 | 9. 3
- 60 | 11. 9 groups | 12. 80
Expert Tips for Parents and Teachers
For parents:
- Practise verbally more than on paper. Verbal recall is faster to build and transfers to written work naturally.
- Don’t show frustration if your child forgets. Say “nearly — it’s 70, let’s try again” rather than dwelling on the error.
- Connect to money as often as possible. It’s the most natural real-world context for the 10× table.
- Use the Hit the Button game as a reward, not a chore. When you’ve done your reading, you can play Hit the Button” reframes it positively.
For teachers:
- Use the 10× table as a gateway to teach place value properly. The two concepts reinforce each other.
- Mix the 10× table with the 5× table early — children spot the relationship (half of 10s = 5s) and it deepens understanding.
- Build the inverse into every lesson. If children learn multiplication and division together from the start, the MTC division questions won’t catch them out.
- Use diagnostic questioning: “How do you know that?” after a correct answer reveals whether a child is recalling or calculating.
Advanced Insight: Why Automaticity Changes Everything
There’s a well-established principle in educational psychology called cognitive load theory. It explains that our working memory — the part of the brain used for active thinking — is limited.
When a child has to calculate 7 × 10, they’re using working memory. That same memory is then unavailable for the rest of the problem they’re trying to solve.
When a child recalls 7 × 10 = 70 automatically, no working memory is used at all. It’s retrieved from long-term memory like recognising a friend’s face.
This is why fluency in the 10× table doesn’t just help with times tables — it actively improves performance across all areas of maths. Word problems, fractions, area calculations, money problems — all benefit.
The progression looks like this:
Count → Calculate → Derive → Recall
Most children arrive at school counting in 10s. The goal is to move them through each stage until recall is instant and effortless. Daily practice — especially with responsive tools like Hit the Button maths — accelerates that journey significantly.
FAQ
What is Hit the Button? Hit the Button is a free online maths game popular in UK primary schools. It presents rapid-fire questions on times tables, number bonds, doubles, and halves, and children must press the correct answer before the time runs out. It’s widely used for KS1 and KS2 maths fluency practice.
At what age should children learn the 10 times table? Children typically begin counting in 10s in Year 1 (age 5–6) and are formally introduced to the 10× table in Year 2 (age 6–7). By Year 4, they should be able to recall it quickly as part of the full times table requirement.
How long does it take to learn the 10 times table? With 5–10 minutes of daily practice, most children can recall the 10× table accurately within 1–2 weeks, and automatically (without thinking) within 3–4 weeks.
What’s the difference between knowing and understanding the 10 times table? Knowing means a child can give the answer. Understanding means they know why — that 6 × 10 means six groups of ten, and that this connects to place value. Both matter, but understanding prevents errors with larger and decimal numbers.
How does Hit the Button help with times tables? Hit the Button builds speed and accuracy through repeated, randomised practice. Because the questions appear in no particular order, children develop genuine recall rather than relying on the sequence pattern.
Can the 10 times table help with percentages? Yes. Finding 10% of a number is the same as dividing by 10. Children who understand the 10× table well transition into percentage work much more smoothly.
What comes after the 10 times table? Once the 10× table is solid, the 2×, 5×, and 11× tables are natural next steps. You can also explore number bonds, doubling and halving, and mixed times table practice — all available in Hit the Button.
Conclusion
The 10 times table is more than just “add a zero.” It’s a doorway into place value, percentages, mental maths, and confident number sense.
With a clear daily routine — building the pattern, practising verbally, writing from memory, then moving to random recall — children can move from uncertain to automatic in just a few weeks.
The key ingredients are:
- Short, consistent daily practice
- Random question order (not sequential)
- Mixing multiplication with division
- Using engaging tools like Hit the Button to build speed
Whether you’re a parent fitting in 5 minutes before school, or a teacher running a daily maths starter, the structure in this guide works. Stick with it, celebrate small improvements, and watch the confidence grow.
Once the 10× table is locked in, move on to the 2×, 5×, and 11× tables — and keep using Hit the Button to sharpen everything in between.
