How to Teach Multiplication Tables to a Child with ADHD

Understanding the Real Challenge

If you're raising a child with ADHD, you likely already know that learning even something as seemingly simple as multiplication tables can become a daily emotional rollercoaster. You've sat beside them at the kitchen table, watched them fidget, tear up, or simply shut down at the sight of numbers in rows. It's not about laziness. It's not about a lack of intelligence. It's about how their brain works—and how our systems often forget to meet them there.

Why Traditional Methods Often Fail Kids with ADHD

Repetition, rote memorization, and dull worksheets—these are the staples of how many of us learned our times tables. But for children with ADHD, these methods don’t stick. They might learn the tables one day and forget them the next. This isn’t forgetfulness; it’s how their attention and memory systems work differently. They need novelty, sensory engagement, movement, emotion, and—ideally—fun.

But what if multiplication could feel more like a game or an adventure and less like a test? What if, instead of drilling, you helped them explore patterns or tell stories with numbers?

Start with Curiosity, Not Correction

Imagine this moment: Your child is bouncing on a yoga ball instead of sitting at their desk. You ask, “What happens if we double 6? What do we get?” They respond tentatively, “12?” And you smile and say, “Yes! That's two times six!” You're not testing—they're not afraid to get it wrong. You’re simply playing with numbers together.

Kids with ADHD often respond better when they feel safe from judgment. So start with questions. Introduce multiplication as a pattern-finding game, not a lesson they must master. Show how 2x3 and 3x2 give the same result. Use counters, toys, even snacks. Let them build the table physically before asking them to remember it mentally.

Make Movement Part of the Learning

Kids with ADHD are often kinesthetic learners—their brains light up when they move. Sitting still at a desk can actually make information harder to absorb. So take multiplication off the page. Use hopscotch grids labeled with numbers, rhythm games using claps and stomps, or throw balls back and forth while reciting facts.

One mom I spoke with created a trampoline routine—every jump added a multiple. "Three, six, nine, twelve!" Her son begged to do math just so he could jump. What seemed like chaos was actually his version of focus.

Storytelling Can Be a Superpower

Children with ADHD often thrive on narrative. Give numbers personalities. Maybe 5 is a clever fox who always ends in 0 or 5. Maybe 7 is a mischievous cat who has a hard time making clean patterns. Create an imaginary world where numbers go on adventures, fight dragons, or solve mysteries.

Some educational tools today let you turn multiplication lessons into stories—including audio story formats where your child is the hero. One helpful feature found in the Skuli app allows you to transform a written lesson into a personalized audio adventure using your child's name. That small personalization—hearing "Max, you must solve 4 x 6 to unlock the gate"—can spark a level of engagement that dry flashcards never could.

Consistency Without Pressure

Frequent exposure is key, but pressure to perform is not. Your child may need to encounter a multiplication table twenty different times, in twenty different ways, before it sticks. That’s okay. Consistency doesn't mean rigidity—it means gently revisiting the concept in small, manageable ways over time.

• Quiz them informally—in the car, in the checkout line, during snack time.
• Use household moments, like doubling recipes or splitting snacks, as math opportunities.
• Create visuals together. Hand-draw a multiplication chart and color-code the patterns they see.

Some apps—even ones like Skuli—help you turn a photo of a lesson into personalized quizzes, so that what your child learned at school can transform into bite-sized, low-pressure practice at home.

Be Kind to Yourself, Too

If your child is melting down over homework, you’re not failing. You’re witnessing a real neurological challenge. You’re showing up. That matters more than any worksheet ever could.

And if multiplication still seems out of reach this week—or this month—remember, kids with ADHD tend to learn in surges. What doesn’t click now may make sense later, when emotion and stress aren’t clouding their view.

More Support, Built for ADHD Brains

If your child often struggles to follow classroom instructions, you might explore practical ways to turn directions into routines. If bedtime battles make evening learning impossible, take a look at evening routines that actually work for children with ADHD. And if you're wondering whether behavior is something more than attention issues, this piece on ADHD versus oppositional behavior can help you find clarity and strategy.

Final Thoughts

Teaching multiplication to a child with ADHD isn’t about getting them to memorize—it’s about helping them see how numbers are part of their world in a way that respects how their brain works. It’s also about patience, play, and partnership. You’re their safe anchor in the storm of academic expectation.

One day, they may surprise you by blurting out, in the middle of breakfast, “Hey! I just realized 7 x 8 is 56!” And you’ll smile, hug them, and realize the seeds you planted—with love and persistence—are growing.