Multiplication tables of 7, 8 and 9: tricks explained and exercises to practice them

AppRadar · 2026-11-06

Transparency: Tablitas is made by AppRadar, the publisher of this website.

The multiplication tables of seven, eight, and nine may seem like a long list of new results. However, many operations are related to others the child already knows. To find 7 × 8, you can start with 5 × 8 and add 2 × 8. To solve 9 × 6, you can calculate 10 × 6 and subtract six. These relationships allow you to build the result before trying to recall it more easily.

This guide brings together examples, exercises with solutions, and a way to check for mistakes without repeating all the tables from the beginning. You can work on one section at a time and combine it with Tablitas, flashcards, or a notebook. The goal is not to learn many memorized tricks, but to choose a strategy that the child can explain and use when they don't yet remember a multiplication problem.

Before you begin: separate what you know from what needs practice

Write some operations from these three tables and ask which ones the student recognizes. You don't need to complete an entire grid in one session. You can start with 7 × 2, 8 × 5, and 9 × 10, and then add two more examples that raise more questions. This mix allows you to see what supports are available.

Remember that 7 × 2 has the same result as 2 × 7. If the child knows one of the two, they already have a reference for the other. A rectangle of dots helps to show this: seven rows of two and two rows of seven contain fourteen dots. The rotation changes the orientation, not the quantity.

Write down only a few operations so you can refer back to them. A manageable list makes it easier to see what's happening in each answer. If you write too many questions, you're more likely to end up correcting a page than discussing the relationships between numbers.

Table of seven: uses five groups and two groups

To calculate 7 × 6, you can separate seven groups of six into five groups and two groups. The five groups contain thirty elements; the other two contain twelve. Putting them together, you get forty-two. Write the complete relationship: 7 × 6 = 5 × 6 + 2 × 6 = 30 + 12 = 42.

First, draw a picture with seven rows of six dots. Circle five rows with one color and two with another. This way, the partial calculations represent visible parts of the whole. If the child understands the drawing, you can gradually reduce your support and ask them to explain the separation in words.

The same idea applies to 7 × 8: forty plus sixteen equals fifty-six. There's no need to calculate both operations consecutively if one already requires a lot of attention. You can dedicate one session to 7 × 6 and revisit the strategy another day with a different number.

Another way: starting from a neighboring multiplication

If you know 7 × 5 = 35, you can get 7 × 6 by adding seven. In this representation, you work with six groups of seven and use the equality between 7 × 6 and 6 × 7. It's helpful to show the change with a drawing if it might cause confusion.

Ask which path is clearer to them: separating five and two groups, or adding a group to a known result. You don't need to impose the shortest strategy from an adult perspective. A slightly longer, but understood, strategy provides a better basis for discussing a mistake.

Eight times table: build doubles

Eight is double four. So, if you know that 4 × 6 = 24, you can calculate 8 × 6 as double twenty-four: forty-eight. Draw four rows of six dots and draw another four identical rows next to them. Together they make eight rows.

You can also arrive at this starting from the two times table: two groups, four groups, and eight groups. With five elements in each group, you get ten, twenty, and forty. This sequence allows you to observe what is doubled each time. If the child loses track, they will return to a single duplication instead of chaining several together.

The procedure requires that the doubles used be manageable. If doubling twenty-eight is more difficult than the initial multiplication, choose a different ratio. For example, for 8 × 7, you can start with 7 × 7 and add seven if that result is already available. The strategy should reduce uncertainty, not introduce an unknown calculation.

A visual example with 8 × 8

Draw a square with eight rows and eight columns. Divide it in half to form two rectangles of four by eight. Each half contains thirty-two points; together they contain sixty-four. Write 8 × 8 = 32 + 32 = 64 next to the drawing.

Then pose a reverse question: “If one half contains thirty-two, how many do two contain?” This formulation recovers the idea of ​​double without exactly repeating the statement. Keep the drawing available until they can relate quantities without relying on counting all the dots.

Table of nine: ten groups minus one

To calculate 9 × 4, imagine ten groups of four and remove one. Ten groups contain forty elements; removing four leaves thirty-six. The expression is 9 × 4 = 10 × 4 − 4 = 40 − 4 = 36.

The same thing happens with 9 × 7: seventy minus seven is sixty-three. You can draw ten rows of seven dots and cross out one row. Ask why seven dots are removed and not nine. This conversation checks whether they have understood what the disappearing group represents.

This strategy also allows you to check a result. If someone answers that 9 × 7 is seventy-three, you can compare it to ten groups of seven. Nine groups should contain fewer than ten equal groups. This estimate helps detect that the answer needs further verification before looking for the exact value.

Observe patterns without making them the sole explanation

Striking patterns appear in the positive products of nine and the numbers one through ten: 09, 18, 27, 36, 45, 54, 63, 72, 81, and 90. You can observe how the numbers change and use this to check an answer within that sequence.

However, a visual pattern is no substitute for understanding nine groups. Maintain at least one example with objects or dots. This way, the child can explain where the result comes from, as well as recognize how it is written.

Why 7 × 8, 8 × 7 and 56 are related

A rectangle with seven rows of eight dots contains fifty-six dots. When rotated, it becomes eight rows of seven. You can write out the two multiplications and relate them to two divisions: 56 ÷ 7 = 8 and 56 ÷ 8 = 7.

Introduce these division problems only if they fit with the content the child is working on. You can present them as grouping questions: "If we divide fifty-six tokens into seven equal groups, how many will be in each group?" Familiar multiplication provides a way to check the answer.

The Tablitas worksheet describes activities that relate multiplication and division. See Tablitas on the App Store. You can complement this activity with a set of operations written on paper, without assuming that recognizing one method automatically implies mastering all the others.

Guided exercises to get started

Work through these examples with a drawing or oral explanation before asking for the final answer. You don't need to solve them all in the same session.

After working through an example, change the question: “What part of the drawing does that twenty represent?” or “Why did you subtract eight?” The explanation allows for a review of the procedure. If the student is only repeating a learned phrase, ask them to point to the corresponding quantity in the representation.

Exercises to solve without looking at the table above

Write six questions on separate cards: 7 × 3, 8 × 4, 9 × 6, 7 × 7, 8 × 9, and 9 × 9. Mix them up and let the child choose which one to start with. They can solve them mentally or use a written strategy. Note down the procedure if there's an interesting question you'd like to review.

The solutions are, in that same order, 21, 32, 54, 49, 72, and 81. Don't show the list before the attempt if you want to see how it retrieves the result. Afterward, use it to check, not just to mark correct answers. If there's an error, reconstruct one operation and leave the others for later.

Add three blanks when the multiplications seem familiar: 7 × ? = 42, 8 × ? = 64, and 9 × ? = 27. Their solutions are 6, 8, and 3. You can ask for a complete multiplication to confirm each answer. This way, the exercise maintains a visible connection to what you have just practiced.

Three short problems with solutions

First problem: There are seven boxes with eight pencils in each box. How many pencils are there in total? The operation is 7 × 8 and the result is 56 pencils. Identify how many groups there are and how many pencils each group contains before calculating.

Second problem: Eight teams each receive six cards. How many cards need to be prepared? The answer is 48 cards because 8 × 6 = 48. If you use double 4 × 6, ask them to explain what the two groups of twenty-four represent.

Third problem: Nine rows have nine seats each. How many seats are there? There are 81 seats. You can check this with ten rows of nine, which would total ninety, and remove one row of nine. Keep the checking separate from the answer so that both actions have a clear purpose.

How to check for confusion between closely related results

If the child answers 54 as 7 × 8, ask what operation that number reminds them of. Fifty-four is the result of 9 × 6, but you shouldn't assume that's necessarily the cause of the mistake. Listen to their explanation first: perhaps they counted, added, or remembered a number without associating it with an operation.

Write 7 × 8 next to its representation and reconstruct the result. Then, if it makes sense, compare it to the operation that was actually confusing you. Working with two specific cards can be clearer than reciting three complete tables again. Choose the comparison based on what you observed, not on an automatic explanation of all the mistakes.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the easiest trick for the seven times table?

One possibility is to separate seven groups into five and two. For example, 7 × 8 can be solved as 5 × 8 + 2 × 8, that is, 40 + 16 = 56. Use this strategy if the child understands these two parts.

How can I explain the eight times table with doubles?

Start with the four times table and double the result. For 8 × 6, first calculate 4 × 6 = 24 and then 24 + 24 = 48. A drawing with two identical blocks helps to show why it works.

Why is a group subtracted from the nine times table?

Because nine groups can be obtained from ten equal groups by removing one. In 9 × 7, ten groups contain seventy elements and the removed group contains seven. That's why the calculation is 70 − 7 = 63.

Do we have to learn all three tables at once?

It's not necessary. You can work on a relationship, review known operations, and then mix in some questions. Adjust the number of questions to the child's level and the schoolwork. The mix should help you observe, not add difficulty without a purpose.

What do I do if he understands the trick but takes a long time to respond?

Maintain some practice opportunities with familiar trades and see if you need less and less support over time. Understanding a strategy and recovering a profit quickly are different things. Don't dismiss a helpful explanation just because it's still taking you a while to use it.

How can I practise these multiplication tables with Tablitas?

Check out the activities and content available in your version, choose a goal, and accompany it with a paper multiplication problem. You can access it from Google Play or App Store. Review what content is included before organizing the session.

Choose one relationship for the next practice

You don't need to use all the examples in this guide. Start with a difficult operation and an understandable strategy. When the child can explain it, change the order of the question or pose a short problem. To organize continuity, consult the weekly home practice plan; to review the fundamentals, return to the guide on how to learn the multiplication tables.