KS1 Maths · Topic guide

The 2, 5 and 10 Times Tables

The 2, 5 and 10 Times Tables is the Year 2 National Curriculum requirement to recall and use multiplication and division facts for the 2, 5 and 10 times tables confidently, without working each one out from scratch, and to use the 2 times table to recognise whether a number is odd or even.

Year 1-2 (KS1)Multiplication and divisionNational Curriculum

Before you start

Make sure you're comfortable with these topics first:

Method

  1. Recap counting in 2s, in 5s and in 10s from zero, out loud and with actions (claps, jumps), since fluent skip counting is the direct route into each times table.
  2. Teach the 10 times table first, since its pattern is the clearest: multiplying any number by 10 simply adds a zero to the end of it, e.g. 6 x 10 = 60.
  3. Teach the 5 times table next, pointing out its pattern: every answer ends in either 0 or 5, and answers alternate between the two as the count goes up.
  4. Teach the 2 times table last of the three, pointing out that every answer is an even number, which is exactly what makes a number even in the first place.
  5. Use the 2 times table to teach odd and even directly: any number that appears in the 2 times table is even, and any whole number that does not appear in it is odd.
  6. Practise each table forwards, backwards and in a random order, not just reciting 1x, 2x, 3x in sequence, since true recall means answering any single fact instantly, not only reciting the whole table from the start.
  7. Link each multiplication fact to its matching division fact straight away, e.g. knowing 5 x 4 = 20 immediately means knowing 20 divided by 5 is 4, to build recall in both directions at once.

Worked example

Work out 7 x 5 by using the pattern of the 5 times table.

  1. Recall that every answer in the 5 times table ends in either 0 or 5.
  2. Count up in 5s to the 7th multiple: 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35.
  3. The 7th number reached is 35.
  4. So 7 x 5 = 35, and the pattern rule holds: 35 does end in a 5.

Practice questions

Type your answer and press Check to be marked straight away, or reveal the answer and mark yourself.

Q1Work out 4 x 10.Show answer

Answer: 40

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Q2Work out 6 x 5.Show answer

Answer: 30

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Q3Work out 9 x 2.Show answer

Answer: 18

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Q4Is 17 an odd number or an even number? Explain how you know using the 2 times table.Show answer

Answer: Odd, because 17 does not appear in the 2 times table (the nearest multiples of 2 are 16 and 18)

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Q5Work out 8 x 10.Show answer

Answer: 80

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Q6A pack of pencils has 5 pencils in it. How many pencils are there in 6 packs?Show answer

Answer: 30 pencils (6 x 5 = 30)

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Exam-style questions

Written in the style of a KS1 Maths exam paper, with a full mark scheme.

Q1[1 mark]

Work out 9 x 5.

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Q2[2 marks]

There are 10 grapes on each stem. How many grapes are there on 7 stems? Show your working.

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Q3[2 marks]

Kofi says 24 cannot be in the 2 times table because it is a 'big' number, and only small numbers like 2, 4 and 6 are in it. Explain why Kofi is wrong, and show that 24 is in the 2 times table.

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Free printable worksheet

Want more practice on paper? Download the the 2, 5 and 10 times tables worksheet pack - 6 pages of exam-style questions with a full mark scheme. One email opens every download in this browser for 14 days - no account, no card. Print it for personal and classroom use.

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