4 Times Table Made Easy: Learn the 4s Multiplication Table

The 4 times table is one of the first multiplication facts children are expected to know by heart, usually in Year 3 or Year 4 (around ages 7 to 9). Once it is secure it makes short work of division, fractions, area, reading a clock in quarter- and five-minute steps, and nearly every later topic that leans on quick multiplication.

The 4 times table in full: 4 × 1 = 4, 4 × 2 = 8, 4 × 3 = 12, 4 × 4 = 16, 4 × 5 = 20, 4 × 6 = 24, 4 × 7 = 28, 4 × 8 = 32, 4 × 9 = 36, 4 × 10 = 40, 4 × 11 = 44, 4 × 12 = 48.

The easiest trick: double, then double again. Four is two lots of two, so to multiply any number by 4 you double it and then double the answer. For 4 × 7: double 7 to get 14, then double 14 to get 28. A child who already knows the 2 times table can reach every 4 times fact this way, without learning a separate list.

Spot the patterns. Every answer in the 4 times table is an even number, and the ones digits run in a repeating cycle: 4, 8, 2, 6, 0, then 4, 8, 2, 6, 0 again. The answers are exactly double the 2 times table (2, 4, 6, 8, 10 … becomes 4, 8, 12, 16, 20 …) and half of the 8 times table. Noticing these links means one fact helps unlock the next.

Skip counting. Counting up in fours out loud — 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, 24, 28, 32, 36, 40, 44, 48 — on a number line or to a steady clap builds the sequence into memory. Practise it forwards and backwards, and starting from the middle rather than always from zero.

The facts children trip on. The middle of any table is the hardest part. For the 4s, keep an eye on 4 × 6 = 24, 4 × 7 = 28 and 4 × 8 = 32. Practising just those three a little more often, rather than running the whole table every time, usually clears the last gaps.

How to practise so it sticks. Short, frequent sessions beat long ones — three or four minutes a day is plenty. Mix the order of the questions so your child is recalling facts, not reciting a list. Say each fact both ways (4 × 8 and 8 × 4) and link it straight to division (32 ÷ 4 = 8). Turn it into a game: beat-your-own-time challenges, card games, or a quick round of questions in the car.

On OjasaLearn the 4 times table is built into adaptive Mental Maths practice and the fast-paced Times Table Arena, which sends more questions on the facts your child is slowest on and eases off the ones they have mastered. Progress is tracked fact by fact, so you can see exactly which parts of the table are secure and which still need work.

What is the quickest way to learn the 4 times table?

Double the number, then double the answer. Four is two twos, so 4 × 7 is 7 doubled to 14, then 14 doubled to 28. A child who knows the 2 times table can reach every 4 times fact this way.

When should a child know the 4 times table?

In England it is expected by the end of Year 4 (around age 9), and it is one of the tables checked in the Year 4 Multiplication Tables Check. Most children start learning it in Year 3.

How is the 4 times table connected to other times tables?

Every answer is double the matching 2 times table fact and half the matching 8 times table fact, so 2 × 6 = 12, 4 × 6 = 24 and 8 × 6 = 48. Knowing one table gives you a shortcut into the other two.