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Australian Curriculum Times Tables: When and How to Practise
When do Australian children learn times tables? What Australian Curriculum Version 9.0 expects in Years 2 to 5, plus calm ways to practise at home.
Read the guideKey points
Australian Curriculum Version 9.0 introduces multiplication facts in stages: twos in Year 2; 3, 4, 5 and 10 in Year 3; all facts up to 10 x 10 in Year 4 [1][2][3].
In Year 5, children use these facts to connect multiplication and division and to work with larger numbers [4].
Fluent recall of facts frees up thinking for harder problems, but it should be built alongside understanding [5].
Short, regular, low-pressure practice that mixes old and new facts is a sensible approach at home [5][6][7].
Times tables are one of the most common topics parents ask about. This guide sets out what the Australian Curriculum expects at each year level, why fluent recall matters, and how to practise at home without stress.
When are times tables taught in the Australian Curriculum?
The Australian Curriculum: Mathematics Version 9.0 is the national curriculum developed by the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA). For background, see what is the Australian Curriculum (noooli.com/learn/what-is-the-australian-curriculum). In Version 9.0, the "recall" content descriptions for multiplication facts sit in the Algebra strand.
Year 2: twos:
Year 2 students "recall and demonstrate proficiency with multiplication facts for twos; extend and apply facts to develop the related division facts using doubling and halving" (AC9M2A03) [1]. They also multiply and divide using repeated addition, equal groups, arrays and partitioning (AC9M2N05) [1].
Year 3: threes, fours, fives and tens:
Year 3 students "recall and demonstrate proficiency with multiplication facts for 3, 4, 5 and 10; extend and apply facts to develop the related division facts" (AC9M3A03) [2]. The Year 3 achievement standard refers to recalling multiplication facts for twos, threes, fours, fives and tens when solving practical problems [2].
Year 4: all facts up to 10 x 10:
Year 4 is the key year. Students "recall and demonstrate proficiency with multiplication facts up to 10 x 10 and related division facts; extend and apply facts to develop efficient mental strategies for computation with larger numbers without a calculator" (AC9M4A02) [3]. The Year 4 achievement standard states that students use their proficiency with addition and multiplication facts to add and subtract, multiply and divide numbers efficiently [3].
Year 5 and beyond: applying the facts:
In Year 5, students "recognise and explain the connection between multiplication and division as inverse operations and use this to develop families of number facts" (AC9M5A01) [4]. They also multiply larger numbers by one- or two-digit numbers (AC9M5N06) [4]. Children who are still unsure of their facts will find this work harder, so it is worth checking in. See is my child on track (noooli.com/learn/is-my-child-on-track) for more on each year level.
Note that the Version 9.0 recall expectation goes up to 10 x 10.
Why does fluent recall of times tables matter?
The Australian Education Research Organisation (AERO) notes that the thinking needed to solve a maths problem happens in working memory, which has limited capacity [5]. When facts can be recalled quickly from long-term memory, working memory is free for the rest of the problem. AERO states that students with fluent recall who know how to apply it are more likely to learn related, more complex concepts [5].
Researchers from the Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia (MERGA) similarly describe automatic recall of basic facts as a prerequisite for mental computation [6].
Understanding comes first:
Fluency is not the same as rote chanting. AERO cautions that building procedural fluency without conceptual understanding is likely to lead to misconceptions and forgetting [5]. The MERGA project focused on teaching thinking skills and strategies for basic facts, with automaticity as the goal [6]. Useful strategies include:
Doubling: 4 x 7 is double 2 x 7.
Using tens: 9 x 6 is 10 x 6 minus 6.
Turnarounds: 3 x 8 gives the same answer as 8 x 3.
Related division: if 6 x 7 = 42, then 42 ÷ 7 = 6.
How should children practise times tables at home?
Keep sessions short and frequent:
In the MERGA project, teachers committed 10 to 15 minutes a day to number facts, including games and partner activities [6]. At home, five to ten minutes on most days is realistic.
Practise recalling, not just rereading:
AERO describes retrieval practice as getting students to actively recall their learning, and recommends low-stakes activities where students are not being assessed [7]. Asking "what is 7 x 8?" and waiting for an answer is more useful than reading a times table chart.
Mix old and new facts:
AERO recommends spacing learning over multiple sessions [7]. Once your child knows the twos and fives, keep including them while adding new facts. This helps prevent earlier facts from fading.
Give quick, calm feedback:
AERO highlights timely corrective feedback so misconceptions are not reinforced [7]. If an answer is wrong, give the correct fact, show a strategy to work it out, and ask it again a little later.
Low-stress practice ideas:
Car or walk quiz: three to five mixed questions, no pressure.
Card game: flip two playing cards and multiply them.
Fact of the day: pick one tricky fact and ask it several times through the day.
Arrays at home: arrange egg cartons, muffin trays or Lego bricks in rows and columns.
Printable worksheets: use a short sheet, then check it together with the answer key. Noooli's free printable worksheets (noooli.com/worksheets/maths/topic/multiplication-and-division) include answers.
If your child becomes upset, stop and try again another day. The aim is steady progress, not speed under pressure.
How Noooli can help
Noooli provides short daily maths practice, about 10 minutes, for Kindergarten to Year 6, aligned to the Australian Curriculum. Parents can see their child's progress. Free printable maths worksheets with answer keys are available on the multiplication and division worksheets page (noooli.com/worksheets/maths/topic/multiplication-and-division), with no sign-up. Plans are Free, Noooli Plus (A$9.99/month or A$107.89 a year, one child) and Noooli Max (A$19.99/month or A$214.99 a year, every child in the family); see pricing (noooli.com/pricing).
References
1. Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority (QCAA). Year 2 Mathematics: Australian Curriculum Version 9.0 achievement standard and content description alignment. https://www.qcaa.qld.edu.au/downloads/aciqv9/mathematics/curriculum/ac9_maths_yr2_as_cd_alignment.pdf
2. Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority (QCAA). Year 3 Mathematics: Australian Curriculum Version 9.0 achievement standard and content description alignment. https://www.qcaa.qld.edu.au/downloads/aciqv9/mathematics/curriculum/ac9_maths_yr3_as_cd_alignment.pdf
3. Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority (QCAA). Year 4 Mathematics: Australian Curriculum Version 9.0 achievement standard and content description alignment. https://www.qcaa.qld.edu.au/downloads/aciqv9/mathematics/curriculum/ac9_maths_yr4_as_cd_alignment.pdf
4. Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority (QCAA). Year 5 Mathematics: Australian Curriculum Version 9.0 achievement standard and content description alignment. https://www.qcaa.qld.edu.au/downloads/aciqv9/mathematics/curriculum/ac9_maths_yr5_as_cd_alignment.pdf
5. Australian Education Research Organisation (AERO). (2024). Developing maths proficiency: Explainer. https://www.edresearch.edu.au/sites/default/files/2024-09/developing-maths-proficiency-aa%20(1).pdf
6. Dole, S., Carmichael, P., Thiele, C., Simpson, J., & O'Toole, C. (2018). Fluency with number facts: Responding to the Australian Curriculum: Mathematics. Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia (MERGA). https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED592431.pdf
7. Australian Education Research Organisation (AERO). (2021, updated 2026). Spacing and retrieval practice guide. https://www.edresearch.edu.au/guides-resources/practice-guides/spacing-and-retrieval-practice-guide-full-publication
Common questions
What year do Australian children learn their times tables?
Under Australian Curriculum Version 9.0, children build up gradually. Year 2 covers multiplication facts for twos, Year 3 covers facts for 3, 4, 5 and 10, and Year 4 expects children to recall and demonstrate proficiency with multiplication facts up to 10 x 10 and related division facts.
How long should my child practise times tables each day?
Short sessions work well. In one Australian school project, teachers set aside 10 to 15 minutes a day for number facts. At home, five to ten minutes of mixed, low-pressure recall on most days is a practical goal, with earlier facts revisited regularly so they are not forgotten.
Should children learn strategies or just memorise times tables?
Both matter. Australian research and guidance suggest children should understand what multiplication means and use thinking strategies, such as doubling, with the goal of automatic recall over time. Memorising facts without understanding is more likely to lead to misconceptions and forgetting.
