9 times table

The 9 times table has the best tricks

The 9 times table is 9, 18, 27, 36, 45, 54, 63, 72, 81, 90, 99, 108. It looks hard, but it hides more patterns than any other table. Look down the answers from 9 to 90: the tens digit goes up by one (0, 1, 2 … 9) while the ones digit goes down by one (9, 8, 7 … 0). And the two digits always add up to 9: 2 + 7, 5 + 4, 8 + 1.

Multiplication by 9 with three tricks

The finger trick: fold down finger number n, count the fingers on each side (see the pictures above). The "one less" trick: in 9 × 7, the tens digit is one less than 7 (6), and the ones digit makes the sum 9 (3): 63. The 10 times trick: multiplication by 9 is ten times the number minus the number. 9 × 8 = 80 − 8 = 72. That last one also works for 9 × 12 = 120 − 12 = 108 and for bigger numbers, so it is the trick worth keeping.

A check for every answer

The digits of any answer in the 9 times table add up to 9 (for 9 × 11 = 99 add once more: 9 + 9 = 18, 1 + 8 = 9). If a child writes 9 × 6 = 56, the check says no: 5 + 6 = 11. The third worksheet practices this.

9 times table games and worksheet

Let your child learn the tricks with "Learn", then play the trainer: keypad answers, the facts in random order, missed facts repeated. The speed test is where the tricks turn into memory, because folding fingers is too slow for a good score. Print the 9 times table worksheet, a multiplication sheet with the answer key, and take the 20-question 9 times table quiz for the diploma. To multiply 9 by any number from 1 to 12, the finger trick and the "10 times, take one away" trick both work.

A tip for parents

Tricks are a bridge, not the goal. Let the finger trick be used freely in the first week, then ask your child to try one round without hands. When the speed test score stays the same, the facts are learned.