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The 3 times table

Worksheet + game · PDF · free

The 3s are a true skip-count: add three each time, or see three equal groups. Use a number line and hop in threes before drilling facts. Link to the 6s and 9s early — the 6s are doubled 3s, and many 9s facts come from known 3s. Songs and rhythm help because there is no single neat trick for every fact. Teach 3 × 10 first as an anchor, then build outward. Fluency means knowing 8 × 3 without working from 3 × 3 every time, but repeated addition should still be a fallback children trust.

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Worked example

For 8 × 3, think eight groups of three. Count in threes eight times — 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21, 24 — so 8 × 3 = 24. Or use 8 + 8 + 8 if skip-counting slips.

Watch for this

Adding 3 once and stopping — treating 8 × 3 as 8 + 3 = 11 — is common when children confuse multiplication with addition. Ask how many threes, not how much to add on.

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