Grade 3 · Math · Unit 5 of 14
Multiplication
Equal groups and arrays
What your child practises
Understanding multiplication as equal groups, arrays, repeated addition and skip counting. Easier sets use 2s, 5s and 10s; stretch sets go beyond 5 × 5.
Nunavut Curriculum approved guide: Alberta Mathematics K–9 (2007), Number · multiplication as repeated addition, arrays and equal groups
How we explain it
Children can open this short lesson before they practise.
- Multiplying means equal groups.
- 3 × 4 means 3 groups of 4.
- An array shows the groups as rows and columns.
Example: 4 × 5 = ? That is 4 groups of 5. 5 + 5 + 5 + 5 = 20. Answer: 20
Sample questions
A taste of this unit. In the app, questions change every time and get easier or harder to match your child.
Question 1
A frog makes 2 hops. Each hop is 4 long. Where does it land?
- 4
- 8
- 6
- 12
8
Hint: Count by 4s, once for each hop: 4, 8. That's 2 × 4 = 8.
Question 2
Lena has 3 vases with 4 flowers in each vase. How many flowers in all?
🌷3 groups of 4answer box
12
Hint: 3 groups of 4 is 3 × 4. Turn it around: 3 × 4 = 4 × 3. Count by 3s 4 times: 3, 6, 9, 12.
Question 3
4 × 3 = 12. So what is 3 × 4?
3 × 4 = ?
- 16
- 7
- 12
- 9
12
Hint: You can multiply in any order. 3 rows of 4 is the same number as 4 rows of 3: 12.
Question 4
How many 🐞 are in the array?
🐞🐞🐞🐞answer box
4
Hint: There are 2 rows of 2, so it's 2 × 2. Count by 2s 2 times: 2, 4.
Question 5
Which multiplication matches the array?
🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞- 5 × 3
- 5 × 2
- 5 + 2
- 6 × 2
5 × 2
Hint: Count the rows (5) and how many are in each row (2). 5 rows of 2 is 5 × 2.
Question 6
Which multiplication means the same as this?
2 + 2 + 2 + 2 + 2
- 5 × 2
- 2 × 2
- 5 + 2
- 6 × 2
5 × 2
Hint: There are 5 groups of 2 added together, so it's 5 × 2 = 10.