Practise your times tables
Play a round right here — no account, no download. Pick how you want to practise and press start.
Free to play. No sign-up needed to start.
The Learning Method
SpeedSum is built on a well-established principle in educational research: retrieval practice under mild time pressure accelerates fact fluency. When children answer arithmetic questions against the clock, they practise retrieving number facts from memory — not working them out each time. Over repeated sessions, those facts become automatic.
This matters because automaticity in basic number facts (knowing that 6 × 7 = 42 instantly) frees up working memory for harder problems — fractions, algebra, long division. Children who arrive at Year 7 with fluent recall have a measurable advantage over those who still count on their fingers.
SpeedSum sessions are designed to be short and frequent rather than long and occasional. Five to ten minutes per day, every day, delivers better results than an hour once a week. The 90-second challenge format is intentional — it is long enough to practise, short enough to maintain focus, and fast enough to feel like a game rather than homework.
Adaptive Difficulty
SpeedSum does not give every child the same questions. Each game mode has three difficulty levels — Beginner, Intermediate, and Expert — that target different curriculum stages:
- Beginner — KS1 level. Simple addition and subtraction within 20. Single-digit multiplication. Ideal for Years 1–2 or children building confidence.
- Intermediate — Lower KS2. Two-digit arithmetic, times tables up to 10×10, and mixed operations. Ideal for Years 3–4.
- Expert — Upper KS2. Full 12×12 times tables, harder division, multi-step problems, and mixed operations. Ideal for Years 5–6 preparing for SATs.
Children choose their level at the start of each session. Parents can guide this choice via Coach Mode — setting specific targets aligned with what their child is currently studying at school.
How a Child Uses SpeedSum
Log in with a PIN
Children sign in using the parent's email address and their own four-digit PIN — no passwords to remember. The PIN is set by the parent when creating the child's profile.
Pick a game mode
From the child dashboard, they choose one of five game modes. Each mode targets different skills. The Times Table Tower unlocks after a 3-day practice streak as an extra incentive.
Choose difficulty
Beginner, Intermediate, or Expert. Children can challenge themselves by moving up a level, or consolidate at their current level. The choice is theirs — with parental guidance available via Coach Mode.
Play and score
The game starts immediately. Timed challenges run for 90 seconds (or until a score target is reached). Correct answers score points; wrong answers are shown immediately so children learn on the spot.
See results and earn rewards
After each session, children see their score and accuracy, and they always have a personal best to beat next time. Badges unlock for milestones — first 10, first 20, streak shields, and more.
Build their streak
Playing on consecutive days builds a practice streak. Streaks unlock the bonus Times Table Tower game mode and motivate children to return the next day.
How a Parent Uses SpeedSum
Create a free parent account
Sign up with your email at speedsum.co.uk/parent/onboarding. No credit card required. Takes under two minutes.
Add your children
From your parent dashboard, add each child by name and age. SpeedSum creates a separate profile for each child with their own PIN, avatar, badge collection, and progress history. Free accounts support up to five children.
Follow their progress
After each session your child plays, their results are recorded. Every account shows each child's level, streak and badges, and Coach Mode gives you a weekly summary of their wins and areas to work on. Premium unlocks the full analytics: session history, accuracy by operation (e.g. "multiplication: 78% correct"), score trends, AI-generated performance summaries and the Times Table Mastery Heatmap — a 12×12 colour-coded grid showing exactly which multiplication facts are mastered, developing, or still need work, based on all recorded practice data.
Use Coach Mode to guide learning
Coach Mode lets you set a personalised challenge for your child: a specific game mode, a target score, and a custom reward (e.g. "beat 25 questions in 90 seconds, win 30 minutes of screen time"). With Premium, Coach Mode also reads your child's recent sessions and suggests a mission aimed at the area they find hardest.
Progress Tracking
Every session a child completes is saved to their profile. Here is what you can see, with Premium features marked:
Levels and XP
Every correct answer earns XP. Children level up and unlock new avatar items as they go.
Practice streak
Their current streak, plus streak shields that protect it — key motivators for daily habit formation.
Session history (Premium)
Date, game mode, score, and accuracy for every session played, with trends over time.
Operation accuracy (Premium)
Breakdown of correct vs incorrect by operation — addition, subtraction, multiplication, division.
Badges earned
Every badge the child has unlocked, with the date it was achieved.
AI Tutor Feedback (Premium)
A plain-English read of any session: strengths, the facts that slowed them down, and exactly what to practise next.
Times Table Mastery Heatmap (Premium)
A 12×12 colour-coded grid showing accuracy for every multiplication fact — green (mastered, 90%+), amber (developing), red (needs practice). Tap any cell for full stats, or download a PDF to share with your child's teacher.
Challenge Mode (Premium)
Siblings challenge each other, or you, to friendly maths duels. Results and rematches are tracked for every challenge.
Ideal Usage Guide
For most children aged 5–11, the following routine produces the best results:
- → Daily practice — even just one 90-second session counts toward the streak and builds recall.
- → Same time each day — habit stacking (e.g. "after breakfast, before school") reduces friction.
- → Match difficulty to curriculum — check what your child is currently doing in school and align the game mode and level accordingly.
- → Use Coach Mode monthly — review the dashboard once a month and set a new challenge to keep motivation fresh.
- → Celebrate milestones — when a child hits a new personal best or earns a badge, acknowledge it. Extrinsic recognition reinforces the habit until it becomes intrinsic.
Short, frequent retrieval practice is well established as more effective than occasional long sessions, so aim for a few minutes most days rather than a weekly drill. How quickly an individual child's recall speeds up varies — SpeedSum Premium's analytics show their actual accuracy and speed over time rather than asking you to take a timescale on trust.
Ready to see it in action?
Create a free account and add your first child in under two minutes. No credit card required.