Twelve is the last table most schools ask for, and it is more approachable than its position suggests because it splits cleanly: 12 x 7 is 10 x 7 plus 2 x 7, which is 70 plus 14. Anyone secure on the tens and twos can reach every fact this way. It is also the most practically useful of the large tables, since twelve is the number behind dozens, inches in a foot, months in a year and the hours on a clock face.
Ordered practice from 12 x 1 to 12 x 12, mixed-order recall sheets, and missing-number rows in both directions. Some pages show each fact broken into its ten and two parts so the partitioning method is on the page. Division facts drawn from the same table appear on the later sheets. One worksheet per US Letter page, black and white.
Split twelve into ten and two. 12 x 8 becomes 10 x 8 plus 2 x 8, so 80 plus 16 equals 96. This partitioning works for every fact in the table and relies only on the two tables children learn earliest, which is why it is the most dependable route.
Why is 12 still taught when the metric system uses 10?
Partly tradition and partly usefulness — twelve divides evenly by 2, 3, 4 and 6, which is why it shows up in dozens, inches, months and clock faces. Some school systems stop at ten and others go to twelve, so it is worth checking what your school expects.
Which 12 facts are hardest?
12 x 7 and 12 x 8 tend to cause the most trouble, for the same reason the sevens and eights do generally. 12 x 12 equals 144 is worth learning as its own fact, since it is the last square in the grid and comes up often.
Should the 12 times table come last?
It usually does, and there is a good reason: the partitioning shortcut needs the two and ten tables to be automatic first. Attempting the twelves before those are secure means doing three uncertain calculations instead of one.