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The 6 times table

Worksheet + game · PDF · free

The 6s sit between the 3s and the 12s. The clearest bridge is doubling a 3s fact: if 7 × 3 = 21, then 7 × 6 = 42. Six is an even number, so every product is even. Arrays help — six rows of four dots is the same as four rows of six. Build from facts children already own: 6 × 5 from the 5s, 6 × 10 from the 10s. There is no single classroom trick for every 6, so anchor on doubling the 3s and on even-odd patterns. Regular mixed practice with 3s and 12s stops these facts drifting.

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Worked example

For 7 × 6, start with the 3s: 7 × 3 = 21. Double 21 to get 42, so 7 × 6 = 42. Check: six sevens and seven sixes both land on 42.

Watch for this

Mixing up 6 × 7 with 6 + 7 = 13 is frequent under pressure. Pause and ask: 'Six groups of seven, or seven groups of six?' The product 42 is much larger than 13.

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