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 With Arrays Bingo
Review how arrays and multiplication facts are related with this whole-class Bingo game.
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Hooray Arrays! Multiplication Worksheet Pack
Download this set of array worksheets to use when teaching your students how to relate addition and multiplication.
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Multiplication With Models Worksheet
Guide your students to determine the product of single-digit factors with various multiplication models.
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Multiplication With Arrays Task Cards
Practice multiplication with arrays using this set of 20 task cards in a variety of ways.
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Dot Day Multiplication Tarsia Puzzle
Practice multiplying single-digit numbers and create a masterpiece with a Dot Day tarsia puzzle.
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Halloween Mystery Escape - Multiplication and Division for 5th Grade
Uncover the identify of the thief who stole the pumpkin projects with a printable 5th-grade multiplication and division Halloween Mystery escape room activity.
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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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Multiplication Color By Number Worksheet - Kangaroo
Hop your way through multiplication mastery with a multiplication color-by-number worksheet.
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Fill-in-the-Blank Multiplication Chart Task Cards
Use this set of task cards to Improve student understanding of multiplication tables by recalling facts through 10 × 10.
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Factor Craftivity
Create a fun craft while determining factor pairs of a given number.
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Football Multiplication Mystery Picture
Use the color-coded multiplication guide to complete the grid and reveal a mystery picture.
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Mental Math Multiplication Posters
Use this set of multiplication posters in your classroom when teaching different mental math strategies.
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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 Mystery Picture (Pencil)
Use the color-coded multiplication guide to complete the grid and reveal a mystery picture.
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Factor Pairs – Worksheet
Find factor pairs through 100 with this math worksheet.
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Color by Factor - Worksheet
Solve missing factor equations and color a picture according to a color by number guide.
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Find a Factor
Strengthen multiplication and mental math skills with this factor game.
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Multiply or Divide It! Board Game
Practice multiplying and dividing numbers by 10 and 100 with this board game.
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Multiplication and Division Word Problems Task Cards (2-Digit by 1-Digit)
Use a range of strategies to solve 2-digit by 1-digit multiplication and division problems that exceed the facts of the 12 times tables.
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Color by Number - Multiplication Facts of 2, 3, 5, and 10
An engaging activity to consolidate your students' understanding of multiplication facts.
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Color by Number - Multiplication Facts of 7
Your students will love coloring while they practice their multiplication facts of 7 with this color by number worksheet.
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Color by Number – Repeated Addition
An engaging activity to prepare students for understanding the concept of multiplication.
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Color by Number - Multiplication Facts of 5
Get your students practicing their facts of 5 with this color by number worksheet.
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Color by Number - Multiplication Facts of 2
Get your students practicing their facts of 2 with this color by number worksheet.
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Color by Number - Multiplication Facts of 1
An engaging activity to consolidate your students' understanding of multiplication facts.
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Multiplication Match-Up Puzzles
A match-up activity to assist students in understanding multiplication word problems.
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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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Multiplication and Division Worksheets – Facts of 7
A set of worksheets to help students develop fast and accurate recall of the facts of 7.
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Multiplication and Division Worksheets – Facts of 2
A set of worksheets to help students develop fast and accurate recall of the facts of 2.