How to Teach Multiplication in 5 Easy Steps

Multiplication is a key skill students need to master to move ahead with their maths studies, so in preparation for the multiplication tables check in the 2019/20 academic year, and to help you teach your students short and long multiplication techniques generally, we wanted to highlight just some of the 250+ resources we have on the topic.

Covering each of the 5 steps we’ve outlined, our resources will take you from Year 2 right through to Year 6, so, whether you’re looking at multiplication for the very first time as an extension of addition, covering individual times tables or diving into long multiplication, we’ve something to help!

The resources are ordered by concept, then academic year*, although they can obviously be targeted according to student ability too! To find the content mentioned, just pop the Content ID number into EducationCity’s Search tool.

Step 1: Multiplication as Repeated Addition

Year 2 Field Goal Activity: #336 – Create multiplication calculations to match the repeated additions.

Year 2 Biscuit Arrays ThinkIt: #13824 – Find all the different arrays that represent the number 24.

Step 2: Multiplication Tables

Year 2–4 Times Tables Songs
We’ve a great range of engaging Times Tables Songs which you can sing along to with your class. They range from the 2 x to the 12 x table and are a fantastic way to help students recall and retain those all-important number facts!

Year 2 Grid Topic Tool: #2002 – Explore a 10 x 10 multiplication grid.

Multiplication in 5

Year 4 Find a Pattern ThinkIt: #13909 – Investigate the different patterns formed by the numbers in a multiplication grid.

Step 3: Multiplication’s Commutative Properties

Year 2 Law & Order – Episode II Learn Screen: #22406 – Learn through investigation that multiplication is commutative.

Multiplication in 5 and its commutative properties

Year 3 Grid Topic Tool: #2000/#2009 – Explore a 12 x 12 multiplication grid.

Step 4: Short Multiplication Calculations

Year 3 Football Mad Activity: #381 – Use written methods (repeated addition and scaling) to support multiplication and use related vocabulary.

Year 3 Snow Hope Activity: #377 – Multiply a two-digit multiple of 10 and multiply a two-digit number by 2, 3, 4 or 5.

Year 4 Maths Crusade Learn Screen: #32959 – An introduction into formal written methods of short multiplication. This Learn Screen does not look at carrying numbers.

Year 4 Ancient Methods Learn Screen: #32960 – An introduction into formal written methods of short multiplication. This Learn Screen looks at carrying numbers.

Learn Screen focusing on long multiplication

Year 6 Wheel Multiplication Activity: #32868 – Multiply two numbers mentally up to a three-digit number by a one-digit number.

Year 6 Wheel Multiplication Activity Sheet: #32912 – Multiply two numbers mentally up to a three-digit number by a one-digit number.

Step 5: Long Multiplication Calculations

Year 5 Times Crisis Learn Screen: #33029 – Explore the formal written method of long multiplication in stages.


Year 5 Multiply with Multiple Digits ThinkIt: #13917 – Fill in the missing digits to complete the calculation, multiplying two 2-digit numbers.

6th year Multiplayer Multiplier Learn Screen: #33099 – use the formal written method of long multiplication to multiply numbers up to 4 digits by a two-digit number.

Last but not least, PlayLive Maths Multiplication challenges are available at all year levels. These challenges are interactive and competitive and allow students to play against others in their class, school or even worldwide! They’ll test your students’ knowledge and improve their speed of recall significantly too.

So there we have it. We hope this selection has given you food for thought. It’s really just the tip of the iceberg in terms of what there is on the resource, so if these have whetted your appetite, feel free to search for more by simply typing ‘multiplication’ into the Search tool!

Don’t have EducationCity in your school and would like to take a look at the multiplication content mentioned? Start your free trial today by calling +44 (0)1572 725080 or using the form.

*National Curriculum years are stated. Content will, however, usually be available for all UK regions at the equivalent levels.