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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
National

A trick to master the nine times table

Andy Burnham
An abacus
A solution for tricky times tables? Photograph: Miller/Mediacolors/Alamy

Re Adrian Chiles on the nine times table (Struggling with the nine times table? I have a failsafe method, 21 May), here’s an easier method that doesn’t involve finger contortions: write down 0-9 in a column. Then, starting from the bottom, do the same alongside. Bingo! I taught maths in Strangeways prison and could get anyone to do times tables. Fear of maths is down to bad teaching.
Jan Wiczkowski
Prestwich, Greater Manchester

• An easier way to calculate the nine times table is to multiply by 10 and deduct the multiplier. For example, 7x9 = 70-7.
Michael Miller
Sheffield

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