Where a song helps, and where it does not
Children first need to understand what multiplication means: three groups of four, or an array of dots three rows by four. A song does not teach that part. What a song does well is help children remember the sequence: 4, 8, 12, 16. Once that is steady, they need practice with facts out of order, such as 4 times 7 asked on its own, through games, cards or quick questions. Use the song for the middle step.
What to type in the form
- One table, or two easy ones together (the 2s and the 10s).
- How far: to times 10 or times 12, as your school uses.
- The shape: skip counting in the chorus, full facts in the verses ("four times three is twelve").
- A hook your child likes, such as football, space or the dog, so the verses have pictures.
- A name if the song is for one child.
Accuracy: check every answer
The writer is told every fact must be correct, but a wrong product in a song gets learned too, so read each line before the song is made. Check the order, that no fact is skipped, and that each answer is right. Also listen to the sung versions: the music model can blur similar sounds, such as fourteen and forty, or sixteen and sixty. If a number is unclear, make another version and keep the clearest.
How to use it
Play one table a day for a week, in the car or at breakfast. After a few days, mute the song before an answer and let your child say it. Then move off the song: ask the facts out of order. A helpful tip to share: the order does not matter in multiplication, so 3 times 8 is the same as 8 times 3. Once children know the 2s, 5s and 10s, half of many other tables is already done. Move to the next table when the current one is quick.
Making a set for a class or home
A pack of 20 covers every table from 2 to 12 with room for review songs that mix them. Use the same style and voice across the set so they feel like a series. Teachers can read more on songs for teachers, and homeschool families on songs for homeschool.
Tips that make tables easier
- Learn the 2s, 5s and 10s first; their patterns are easy to hear.
- Use doubles: the 4s are the 2s doubled, the 8s are the 4s doubled.
- Notice patterns, like the 9s answers whose digits add to 9 up to 9 times 10.
- Keep practice short: a few minutes a day beats a long session once a week.
Example lyrics
Made with Still Morning for a made-up class, from these details: "The 4 times table from 4 x 1 to 4 x 12, in order, each answer sung clearly. Chorus skip-counts 4, 8, 12 up to 48. Verses use soccer pictures: four players on each team, goals and corners. Steady beat for clapping.". Lyrics as the writer drafted them, before any edits.
[Verse 1] Four little players on each team Kick the ball across the green One team scores, the crowd all cheers Four times one is four, my dears Four times two, two goals so bright That makes eight boots in the light [Chorus] Clap your hands and stomp your feet Four, eight, twelve, a steady beat Sixteen, twenty, hear the call Count by fours and sing them all [Verse 2] Four times three, a corner kick Twelve small hands all clap so quick Four times four, the whistle blows Sixteen toes in two straight rows Four times five, the ball rolls fast Twenty fingers wave at last [Chorus] Clap your hands and stomp your feet Four, eight, twelve, a steady beat Sixteen, twenty, hear the call Count by fours and sing them all [Bridge] Twenty-four, twenty-eight Thirty-two, the game is great Thirty-six, forty, forty-four Forty-eight, let’s count once more [Chorus] Clap your hands and stomp your feet Four, eight, twelve, a steady beat Sixteen, twenty, hear the call Count by fours and sing them all
What it cannot do
It will not teach what multiplication means, and it will not quiz your child out of order; you do that part. The music model can blur some numbers, so check each version. It is a memory aid, not a math program.
Questions parents ask
Which times table should we start with?
Most children start with the 2s, 5s and 10s, because the patterns are easy to hear. Follow your school's order if it has one.
Can one song cover all the times tables?
Not well. In about two minutes, one table with its answers is the sweet spot. Make one song per table.
What age is a multiplication song for?
Usually primary school children who already understand what multiplication means. Choose the school age band so the lyrics feel right for them.
Can it go up to 12 times 12?
Yes. Say "to 12" in the details. The writer keeps the facts in order.
Can the song be in another language?
Yes: Spanish, German, French, Portuguese or Italian, which helps children taught math in one of those languages.
My child knows the song but cannot answer 7 times 6 quickly. Why?
Knowing the sequence is the first step. Quick recall of a single fact out of order takes separate practice, such as cards or games, until the answer comes without counting up.
Can it help with division too?
A times table song gives the facts that division uses: if 4 times 6 is 24, then 24 divided by 4 is 6. You can ask for a verse that says this, once the table itself is secure.
Updated 2026-10-17. Made with AI. The words come from an AI writer working from your details, and you approve them. The music and the voice come from an AI music model (not a human singer).