The 4 times table is 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, 24, 28, 32, 36, 40, 44, 48.
If your child knows the 2s, they are already most of the way to the 4s. Four is just two twos, so every 4s fact can be built by doubling twice. This makes the 4s a great table for building the idea that multiplication facts are connected, not a list of 144 separate things to memorize. Here is how to use that, plus the few 4s facts kids most often get wrong.
Play: the 4 times table
To multiply by 4, double the number and then double the answer. 4 × 7: double 7 is 14, double 14 is 28. 4 × 12: double 12 is 24, double 24 is 48. Doubling is usually easier for kids than multiplying, so this turns a hard fact into two easy steps.
Write the 2s in a row: 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16… Now circle every second one: 4, 8, 12, 16. Those are the 4s. Seeing this on paper helps children understand why the double-double trick works.
The last digits of the 4s go 4, 8, 2, 6, 0 and then repeat: 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, 24, 28, 32, 36, 40. If your child gives an answer ending in an odd digit, or in 4 when it should end in 8, they can catch it themselves.
Twenty is an easy anchor. 4 × 6 is one more 4: 24. 4 × 4 is one fewer 4: 16. Building out from an anchor is faster and less error-prone than counting up from 4 every time.
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4, 8, 12, 16, 20, 24, 28, 32, 36, 40, 44, 48: the answers to 4 × 1 through 4 × 12.
Double the number, then double it again. For example, 4 × 9: double 9 is 18, double 18 is 36.
4 × 7 = 28. Double 7 is 14, and double 14 is 28.
It helps a lot. The 4s are built from doubling, so a child who knows the 2s well can work out every 4s fact.
A few minutes a day works well: a quick game, a few flash cards, or asking facts in the car. Focus on the middle facts, which cause most mistakes.