Array Multiplication Teaching Resources

Teaching about array multiplication this school year? Explore printable worksheets, fun games and more teacher-created resources to help students learn to use this multiplication strategy to solve tough math problems!

Aligned with both TEKS and Common Core math, the resources in this collection have been designed with both your lesson plans and students in mind, so you can skip the time you'd spend creating resources and dive right into the thing you love most — actually teaching! Explore printable and digital activities and games, plus editable options that you can easily differentiate for your students.

Is this your first year teaching students how to use arrays in multiplication, or are you just looking for some handy tips for teaching this strategy? Read on for a primer from our teacher team!

How Do You Teach Multiplication Using Arrays?

Arrays have been used by mathematicians for more than a century, and there's a fair amount of evidence that they're truly helpful for young learners as they break down complex multiplication into simpler, more manageable parts.

Likewise, an array is a good way to reinforce the commutative property of multiplication.

But how do you actually teach students to use arrays successfully? Read on for a helpful definition, activities and examples to use with your class!

What Are Arrays in Multiplication? A Kid-Friendly Definition

Do you need a way to explain arrays to your students? Here's a handy script to use with your students!

An array is a way to organize groups of objects into equal rows and columns.

When we use an array, we create horizontal rows of numbers and vertical columns of numbers. This allows us to visualize how multiplication represents combining or grouping elements.

How to Use an Array in Multiplication

So how does this work? Let's look at an example of how to use an array to solve a multiplication problem.

Let's say you have the problem 4 x 3.

To solve this using an array:

1. Create four rows with three dots in each row.
2. Count the total number of dots to find the product.

The answer to 4 x 3 is 12, which is the total number of dots in the array.

Fun Ways to Use Array Multiplication to Engage Your Students

This collection is chock full of array activities to use in the classroom, but we didn't stop there! Here are some fun ideas from our teacher team to help your students understand how to use arrays to find the product of a problem!

Use Non-Traditional Manipulatives

The more wacky the manipulative, the more engaged your students tend to be. You can use small food items such as crackers, or why not hit the dollar store for some plastic bugs?

Create Array Cityscapes

Turn your multiplication arrays into an art project! The neat rows of an array work perfectly to create windows in little skyscrapers, for example, which makes for a beautiful hallway bulletin board showing off all your students have learned!

Make it Colorful

Pull out the colored pencils or colorful markers, and challenge students to turn their arrays into rainbows!