The 1 times table
Also written as the multiplication table of 1. Here it is in full to 1 x 20, with the patterns worth pointing out, the fact children trip on, and free practice that does not need a sign-up.
1 x 1 to 1 x 12
| 1 × 1 | 1 |
|---|---|
| 1 × 2 | 2 |
| 1 × 3 | 3 |
| 1 × 4 | 4 |
| 1 × 5 | 5 |
| 1 × 6 | 6 |
| 1 × 7 | 7 |
| 1 × 8 | 8 |
| 1 × 9 | 9 |
| 1 × 10 | 10 |
| 1 × 11 | 11 |
| 1 × 12 | 12 |
1 x 13 to 1 x 20
| 1 × 13 | 13 |
|---|---|
| 1 × 14 | 14 |
| 1 × 15 | 15 |
| 1 × 16 | 16 |
| 1 × 17 | 17 |
| 1 × 18 | 18 |
| 1 × 19 | 19 |
| 1 × 20 | 20 |
Schools usually require up to twelve. The rest is here for children who want it, and it is where mental arithmetic starts to pay off.
Worth pointing out
Patterns in the 1 times table
- Every answer is the number you started with. One lot of anything is that thing.
- This is the only table where the answers go up in steps of one.
The easiest way to learn it
There is nothing to learn here, and saying so plainly is worth more than drilling it. The one times table is the definition of multiplying by one, and a child who understands that has understood something real about how multiplication works.
The fact children get wrong
Nothing in this table is hard, but children sometimes hesitate on 1 x 0, which sits just off the start of the list. One lot of nothing is still nothing, so the answer is 0.
On the abacus
On a soroban this table needs no bead movement at all beyond setting the number itself, which is exactly why it is the first thing a beginner is shown.
Charts build familiarity. Recall comes from retrieval, a few minutes a day. Print the times tables sprint, or try the free virtual abacus where multiplication becomes bead positions rather than something to memorise.
Common questions
What is the 1 times table?
The 1 times table is 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, continuing to 1 x 20 which is 20. It is the same thing as the multiplication table of 1: each answer is 1 added to the one before it.
What is the easiest way to learn the 1 times table?
There is nothing to learn here, and saying so plainly is worth more than drilling it. The one times table is the definition of multiplying by one, and a child who understands that has understood something real about how multiplication works.
Which fact in the 1 times table do children get wrong most often?
Nothing in this table is hard, but children sometimes hesitate on 1 x 0, which sits just off the start of the list. One lot of nothing is still nothing, so the answer is 0.
What is 1 x 12?
1 x 12 is 12. Twelve is the highest multiplier most primary schools require, though children who go further will need up to 1 x 20, which is 20.
Every times table
If the tables are a struggle
The problem is usually not the table
A child who is still counting to work out 1 x 3 has no attention left for 1 x 8. Fluency underneath is what makes the tables stick, and it is what abacus training builds.
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