Multiplying means "groups of"
You have 3 bags with 4 apples in each bag. How many apples altogether? You could add: 4 + 4 + 4 = 12. Multiplication is the short way to write that:
3 × 4 = 12
Say it as "3 groups of 4 is 12." The × sign means "groups of."
Count by jumps
To work out 3 × 4, count by fours, three times: 4, 8, 12. To work out 6 × 5, count by fives six times: 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30. Use your fingers to keep track of how many jumps you've made. That is a real method, and it always works.
The order doesn't matter
3 × 4 and 4 × 3 give the same answer. Three bags of four apples is 12 apples. Four bags of three apples is also 12. This cuts the times tables in half: once you know 3 × 7, you already know 7 × 3.
Learn the easy ones first
- Times 1: the number stays the same. 1 × 8 = 8.
- Times 0: the answer is always 0. Zero bags of apples is no apples.
- Times 10: put a 0 on the end. 10 × 7 = 70.
- Times 2: double it. 2 × 6 is 6 + 6 = 12.
- Times 5: the answers end in 5 or 0: 5, 10, 15, 20.
That's already most of the chart. The facts left over are fewer than you think.
Break a hard one into two easy ones
Stuck on 7 × 8? Split the 8 into 5 and 3:
- 7 × 5 = 35
- 7 × 3 = 21
- 35 + 21 = 56
You can do this with any fact you don't know. Split one number into pieces you do know, multiply each piece, and add.
Bigger numbers work the same way
For 4 × 23, split 23 into 20 and 3. 4 × 20 = 80. 4 × 3 = 12. Then 80 + 12 = 92. That is all the long method on paper is doing.
How to get them into your memory
Pick one table. Count it by jumps a few times a day for a week. Then use flash cards for a few minutes, with no timer. When you miss one, look at the answer and put the card back in the stack. Knowing them fast comes from seeing them often, not from being rushed.
Our free multiplication flash cards and chart are ready to print. Once you can multiply, division is just multiplication backwards.
Practice without anyone watching
Fun With Learning is a free app with no ads and nothing to buy. Games like Array Town and Group Garden show multiplication as rows and groups you can tap. There are no timers, and a wrong answer just shows you the right one. See the math games and activities.
