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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Skip Counting for Multiplication Interactive Activity
Teach multiplication using the skip counting strategy with this fun, interactive digital teaching resource!
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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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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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5th Grade Math Review – Google Slides Interactive Activity
Review important 5th-grade math standards with a student-led interactive activity that covers 12 different mathematical concepts.
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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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Skip Counting Posters
Reinforce skip-counting and listing multiples of a number with this muted-rainbow number display.
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Multiplication Soccer- Fluency Card Game
Reach the goal of mastering multiplication facts with this multiplayer Soccer Card Game!
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Multiplication and Division Word Problems Task Cards (Facts of 2, 5, and 10)
Use a range of strategies to solve multiplication and division problems with 2, 5, and 10 times tables.
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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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Multiplication and Division Worksheets – Mixed Facts
A set of worksheets to help students develop fast and accurate recall of math facts.
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Multiplication and Division Worksheets – Facts of 9
A set of worksheets to help students develop fast and accurate recall of the facts of 9.
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Math Mazes – Factors
A set of math mazes that allow students to demonstrate their knowledge of factors.
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Parts of a Number Sentence - Multiplication and Division
A set of 4 posters explaining the numbers involved a multiplication and division number sentence.
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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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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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Multiplication Puzzles - Tarsia with Answers
Practice multiplication facts with these fun printable multiplication puzzles.
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Factors and Multiples Worksheet and Flowchart
Download this factors and multiples worksheet and flowchart to give your students a systematic way to use divisibility rules to discover the factors 1-10.
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Greatest Common Factor Worksheets
Download our greatest common factor worksheets for varied practice finding the GCF of two and three digit numbers.
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Divisibility Rules Worksheet Set
Use this divisibility rules worksheet set to give your students varied practice finding the factors of given numbers.
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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 Division Fact Family Interactive Task Cards
Use our digital multiplication division fact family task cards to give your students practice with arrays and basic facts.
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Multiplication as Repeated Addition PowerPoint
Teach multiplication as repeated addition with this easy-to-use PowerPoint presentation.
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Least Common Multiple Worksheet
Share this lowest common multiple worksheet with your students to give them varied practice with this foundational concept.
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1 & 2-Step Story Problems With Multiplication and Division - Interactive Game
Practice solving one and two step story problems and have fun with our Multiplication and Division Word Problems Interactive Game.
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Dominate the Dragon – Mental Math Worksheets
Capture your students' interest in math drills for all four operations with these fun dragon-themed differentiated math worksheets.
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Area Model Multiplication Small Group Activity
Review multiplication using the area model with this small group activity.
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Using the Area Model for Multiplication Interactive Task Cards
Give your students digital practice with area model multiplication by assigning this set of 24 interactive task cards.
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Multiplying With Equal Groups – Small Group Bingo
Download this multiplication bingo game to help students understand the concept of using equal groups.
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Multiplication With Equal Groups – Color by Number Worksheet
Guide your students to determine a multiplication problem for an equal groups model with this color-by-number worksheet.
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Equal Groups Bracelet Designs – Multiplication Worksheets for 3rd Grade
Challenge your students to design bracelets by using the equal groups multiplication strategy with this set of 3rd grade math worksheets.
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Multiplication With Equal Groups Matching Activity
Reinforce how to relate multiplication and equal groups with this printable matching activity.
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Equal Groups Multiplication Task Cards
Highlight how to use equal groups to solve multiplication problems with this set of 24 task cards.