Multiplication Teaching Resources
Teach multiplication with ease this school year with free printable multiplication worksheets, digital activities, games and more to help students understand how to multiply numbers and apply multiplication strategies to math problems.
This teaching resource collection was created by the teachers on the Teach Starter team for elementary teachers, and each curriculum-aligned resource has been carefully reviewed and curated to ensure it's ready to use with your students!
Explore multiplication charts and tables, methods for explaining the associative and commutative properties and more, plus find differentiated resources to help you meet each student's needs!
Want to learn more about multiplication? Read on for a primer from our teacher team!
What Is Multiplication? A Kid-Friendly Definition
Introducing multiplication to your class? Let's get started with a definition of this math operation that's easy for them to understand.
Multiplication is the process of adding a number to itself many times. It's a simple way to figure out how much you'll have when you add the same number again and again.
Let's look at an example.
Pretend you have 3 apples, and you want to multiply them by 4.
If you did this, you would end up with 12 apples because you added 3 apples to itself four times (3 + 3 + 3 + 3 = 12).
Multiplication Terms
Launching into multiplication in your math class involves plenty of new vocabulary words for your students to learn! Here are some of the terms you will want to start off with.
Product
The product of a multiplication problem is the result of multiplying two or more numbers together. It's basically the answer to your math problem!
Partial Product
If the product is the answer, what's a partial product? This is the name of each product when you break apart the factors and multiply the parts in a multi-digit number. While there are many ways to solve multiplication problems with partial products, the box method is a common strategy to help students break apart each factor before multiplying.
Factor
In multiplication, the factor is the number that is being multiplied by another number to get a product. For example, in the problem 3 x 4 = 12, the numbers 3 and 4 are factors, and the product is 12.
Multiplication Table
Sometimes called a times table, a multiplication table that shows the products of all the possible combinations of two numbers.
What Is the Associative Property of Multiplication?
The associative property of multiplication means we can change the grouping of the factors being multiplied, and it won't change the product. For example:
- (2 x 3) x 4 = 2 x (3 x 4) = 24
No matter how we group the factors being multiplied, the product will always be the same!
A cartoon version of the multiplication symbol
What Is the Commutative Property of Multiplication?
The commutative property of multiplication means we can change the order of the multiplied factors without changing the product. For example:
- 3 x 4 = 4 x 3 = 12
This means we can multiply the factors in any order we like and still get the same result!
What Is the Distributive Property of Multiplication?
Another property of multiplication students learn in elementary school is distributive. This means we can distribute a factor across the sum or difference of two other factors.
This property is handy when we want to break down a more complicated multiplication problem.
Let's look at an example:
- 4 x (3 + 2)
We can use the Distributive Property to rewrite this expression as:
- (4 x 3) + (4 x 2)
Now we can simplify each of these products separately:
- 12 + 8 = 20
Using the distributive property, we can figure out that the original problem 4 x (3 + 2) — is equivalent to 20.
What Is the Identity Property of Multiplication?
The identity property of multiplication lets you simplify multiplication problems involving the number 1. When we multiply any number by 1, the product is the same as the original number!
Let's say we have the problem 5 x 1. When we apply the identity property, we know that the product of 5 and 1 is 5 itself, since 1 is the multiplicative identity!
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Multiplication and Division Fact Families Triangle Flashcards
Use our multiplication and division fact families triangles to give your students practice with their basic facts up to 12.
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Multiplication and Division Bingo
Practice fact families with our multiplication and division bingo resource that offers two different ways to play!
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Math Graphic Organizers - Printable Work Mats
Practice working on specific math concepts with our set of 5 printable math graphic organizers.
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Color by Number - Multiplication Facts of 11
Practice multiplication facts for 11 with this color by number worksheet.
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Number Talks - Making Numbers Task Cards
Build number sense skills with this set of 20 task cards.
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Multiplication Equal Groups Worksheets
Share these multiplication equal groups worksheets with your students to give them practice modeling and solving multiplication problems.
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Multiples and Factors Worksheet Set
Use this multiples and factors worksheet set to help your students identify factor and multiple number pairs.
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Fact Family Arrays Match-Up Game
Play this fact family arrays matching game with your students to give them practice identifying multiplication and division fact families.
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Multiplying and Dividing by Powers of 10 Anchor Chart Set
Display our multiplying and dividing by powers of 10 anchor chart set in your classroom for an easy reference for students learning operations with powers of 10.
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Number Patterns 4th Grade Worksheet Set
Use this number patterns 4th grade worksheet set to give your students practice with multiplication and division number patterns.
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Multiplication as Repeated Addition Worksheet Pack
Strengthen student understanding of multiplication and repeated addition with this worksheet pack designed for 3rd grade students.
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Number Talks – Multiplication Representation Task Cards
Help your students discover different ways to represent multiplication with this set of number talk cards.
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Skip Counting and Multiplication Differentiated Worksheets
Use this differentiated worksheet set to provide independent practice using skip counting to solve multiplication expressions.
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Multiplication Using Arrays Worksheet
Encourage your students to practice multiplication using arrays with this 2-page worksheet that guides them to build arrays and write them as multiplication sentences.
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Skip Counting by 2,3,4,5, & 10 Mystery Picture
Excerpt: Have your students uncover a mystery picture by solving skip counting problems to and multiply by 2,3,4,5 & 10.
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Number Talks - Making Ten Task Cards
Build number sense skills with this set of 20 task cards.
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Moving Mathematics Activity - Fact Family Triangles
A fun mathematics activity that explores the inverse relationship between addition and subtraction.
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Multiplication and Division Fact Families – Memory Game
Challenge students to recall and remember fact families with this multiplication and division game.
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Roll It! Operations Game
Use this fun game to practice all four operations and/or order of operations.
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Multiplication Wheel Worksheets
A set of multiplication worksheets to help students improve their recall of multiplication facts.
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Multiplication Word Problems Template
A template to use as a scaffold to help students create multiplication word problems.
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Musical Equations Active Learning
A whole class active game that encourages learning through a physical setting.
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Multiplication Facts PowerPoint - Nine Times Tables
A 28-slide PowerPoint to use when learning about multiplication.
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Multiplication Facts PowerPoint - Six Times Tables
Use this 26-slide PowerPoint to teach your students their multiplication facts for 6.
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Factors, Multiples, and Divisibility Rules Interactive Task Cards
Explore factors, multiples, and divisibility rules with these interactive task cards.
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Classroom Number Line to 100 - Including Factors
Help your students as they learn about number sense and factors with this Classroom Number Line to 100.
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Multiplication and Division Puzzles
Incorporate multiplication and division puzzles that help students build fluency with the 2× facts and related ÷2 facts.
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Multiplication and Division Practice by 2s Worksheet Pack
Incorporate multiplication and division practice into your classroom with this worksheet pack that helps teachers strengthen students’ fluency with the two-times table and related division facts using doubling and halving strategies.
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12 Days of Christmas Math Activity
Try our 12 Days of Christmas Math Activity pack to get your students thinking, calculating, and solving problems related to the holiday song.
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Multiplication and Division Fact Families Teaching Slides
Introduce your students to multiplication and division fact families with this 36-slide teaching slide deck.
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Dot Day Multiplication Puzzle
Practice multiplying single-digit numbers and create a masterpiece with a Dot Day Multiplication puzzle.
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Rounding to Estimate Worksheet Set
Use our rounding to estimate worksheet set to sharpen number sense and mental math skills.