My Child Still Can't Do Times Tables in Year 5 — Here's What Actually Helps

Published 2026-07-15 · 9 min read

Your Year 5 child is still counting on their fingers. The 6, 7, 8 and 9 times tables are a mystery. And you're worried — because by Year 5, they should know this stuff.

Here's the honest bit: you're right to address it. But you're probably wrong about why it's happening, and that's changing which strategy will actually work.

Why Year 5 children fall behind on times tables (it's not stupidity)

Times tables aren't a one-shot learning event. They're foundational facts that need to be taught, practised, overlearned, then maintained. If a child missed solid practice in Years 2, 3 or 4 — whether because of school disruption, a teacher who moved fast, an undiagnosed learning difference, or just the kid being distracted — the gap grows every year.

By Year 5, it looks like the child "can't do times tables." Actually, they never had enough practice at the right time, and now the gap is bigger because Year 5 maths assumes times tables fluency.

Other reasons this happens:

Dyscalculia or maths anxiety. Some children's brains process number differently. It's not a lack of trying; it's neurological. Dyscalculia is real and under-diagnosed.
They've learned the wrong strategy. A child who's learned to count up ("7 times 4... 7, 14, 21, 28") instead of instant recall is technically getting the right answer but will never be fluent. The strategy has to change.
Low confidence became low effort. After a year or two of struggling, the child stops trying. Why bother if you're always going to get it wrong?
Nobody's broken it down. Times tables are abstract. A child who's never visualised what "6 times 7" actually *means* — it's six groups of seven — is just memorising random numbers.

Important: If your child is really struggling and nothing you've tried has worked, it's worth getting them screened for dyscalculia by an educational psychologist. Not because something's wrong with them, but because the strategy needs to change if that's the case.

What doesn't work (and why you've probably tried it)

Before we get to what works, let's clear away what doesn't:

Drilling (repetition without understanding). Asking your child to write out "7 times table" 20 times teaches memorisation, not fluency. They might pass the drill, then forget it by next week.
Times tables apps that are just quizzes. A timer-based quiz where they get points for speed teaches speed, not understanding. It also teaches anxiety if they're already struggling.
Comparing to other kids. "Your friend knows their 9 times table" doesn't motivate a struggling Year 5 child — it makes them feel worse.
One long session per week. An hour of times tables practice on Sunday teaches avoidance. Ten minutes a day teaches fluency.

What actually works (evidence-based)

1. Build understanding before fluency

Before your child "knows" that 7 × 6 = 42, they need to understand what 7 × 6 *means*. Seven groups of six. Or six groups of seven. This is the missing piece for many struggling kids.

Use manipulatives (counters, Lego, blocks) to show it. Draw it. Make it concrete before it's abstract. Once they see that 6 × 7 and 7 × 6 give the same answer, they've learned something real, not just a fact.

This takes time — maybe 2–3 weeks of 5 minutes a day — but it's the foundation everything else builds on.

2. Short, daily, mixed practice — never the full table in one go

Don't ask your child to do the 7 times table all the way through. Instead: five random questions from tables they're working on, every day, same time each day.

This is called "interleaving" and it's one of the most powerful learning strategies we know about. Random questions across different tables forces your child to think, not just recite.

3. Use immediate, concrete rewards

Your Year 5 child is past the age of gold stars, but not past the age of motivation. Real pocket money — 5–10p per correct answer — changes the equation. Suddenly they're not doing times tables for you; they're doing it for themselves.

This is especially important for a child who's built up anxiety around maths. Money removes the emotional charge: it's not "I'm bad at maths," it's "I want the reward."

4. Focus on the hard tables first

Your child probably knows 2, 5 and 10 times tables already (they're easy). The 6, 7, 8, 9 and 12 tables are where they struggle. Start there. Don't waste time on the easy ones.

5. Set a realistic timeline

A Year 5 child who's behind on times tables won't catch up in three weeks. Plan on 3–4 months of consistent, short daily practice to build real fluency. That sounds long, but it's only 10 minutes a day, and by Christmas your child will know their tables — and keep them.

The specific thing that changes everything: context

A child who's been told "you're not good at maths" or "times tables are hard" for a year has learned to believe that. Putting them back in a "maths lesson" setting, even with better strategies, still activates that belief.

Flip the context: it's not "times tables practice," it's a game where they're trying to beat their own score, or earn pocket money, or help you with something real (baking — 4 batches of 6 cakes, how many cakes total?). Different context, same learning, completely different result.

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The Pocket Money Game uses all of this — understanding-first approach, short daily sessions, real rewards, focused on the hard tables — and your child earns real pocket money for every correct answer.

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FAQ

Is it too late? Can my Year 5 child catch up?

Yes, absolutely. A Year 5 child who puts in consistent effort can learn times tables fluency in 2–3 months. It's not too late, and there's no permanent damage from being behind. What matters is consistent practice from now on.

My child says "I'm just bad at maths." How do I fix that belief?

Don't argue with the belief. Instead, show them evidence otherwise. Each time they get a question right (especially if it's one they've got wrong before), celebrate it: "You got that one. That's not what someone bad at maths does." Over weeks, the evidence builds and the belief shifts.

What if they still can't do them after a few months of practice?

That's a sign to get professional input. Talk to the school SEND team or consider screening for dyscalculia. Some children's brains need different strategies, and finding out what works is worth the investment.