WHAT IS MULTIPLICATION?

• Multiplication is repeated addition.
• In a multiplication problem, the numbers being multiplied are called, “factors,” and the solution is called “the product.”
• Example: 6 x 3 (read six times three) means to create six groups of three (or three groups of six), then add them together.

HOW TO MULTIPLY NUMBERS:

• When starting out, creating multiple groups (like we did above) is a great tactic.
• Another option is to skip count. To find the solution to 4 x 3 you can:
  • Skip count by 4’s – 4, 8, 12 OR
  • Skip count by 3’s – 3, 6, 9, 12
  • Either way, the solution will be 12.
• For larger numbers, it becomes cumbersome to create groups or skip count. Instead, you’ll want to learn and use the process of long multiplication. Here’s an example:

COMMON MULTIPLICATION MISTAKES AND ERRORS:

1. Not aligning numbers properly: There are imaginary columns in multiplication and each column has a value. If you place a number in the wrong column it changes the whole answer.
2. Not placing zeroes in the solution: If the second number in your multiplication problem has more than one digit, then your solution will have more than one line. Each time you add a line you have to add a zero. (Line number two will have a zero in the ones column. Line number three will have a zero in the ones AND tens column. Line number four will have a zero in the ones, tens, and hundreds columns.)
3. Not carrying tens: Sometimes, when multiplying at each step, your answer will be greater than 9. When that happens you have to carry your tens to the next column.
4. Not adding the carried tens: When you have to carry a ten, that carried ten gets added to the solution of the next multiplication problem. It’s easy to forget these carried tens.