Multiplication is repeated groups. 6 × 4 means six groups of four. You can skip-count in fours six times — 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, 24 — or just recall the fact. Knowing your tables by heart makes everything later (division, fractions, area) much faster, so these are worth learning until they are instant.
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Equal groups
3 × 4 = 12
12 ÷ 3 = 4
The same picture shows multiplication and division. Each group must have the same number.
Words to know
- factor
- a number being multiplied
- product
- the answer to a multiplication
- multiple
- the result of multiplying by a whole number
Worked examples
3 × 4
- 1.Three groups of four.
- 2.Skip-count: 4, 8, 12.
= 12
6 × 4
- 1.Six groups of four.
- 2.Skip-count: 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, 24.
= 24
7 × 8
- 1.Use a known fact: 7 × 8 = 56.
- 2.Check: 7 × 4 = 28, doubled is 56.
= 56
For parents
Method: Skip-counting and instant recall.
What to say: Say the count out loud together, touching a finger for each group.
Common mistakes:
- Adding instead of multiplying (6 × 4 → 10).
- Landing one group short (6 × 4 → 20).