3rd Grade
Multiplication facts within 100
Development of facts
In third grade students are building on what they know about repeatedly adding numbers to develop ideas about multiplication. Skip counting is the beginning of this understanding. You can count out small objects using skip counting (such as counting by 2’s, 3’s, and 5’s) to encourage the development of this early counting strategy for multiplication. While learning multiplication facts, students can also explore division facts (such as 36 ÷ 4 = 9).
An array is a helpful model to demonstrate multiplication. It organizes objects into rows and columns. We can skip count or repeatedly add either the rows or the columns to determine the total.
The image to the right shows an array of eggs. How many eggs are in the carton? Can you find the total without counting each egg?
Here is a description of multiplication strategies you can help your child explore.
Foundational Facts
1’s, 2’s, 5’s, and 10’s
Use skip counting, patterns on the multiplication table, and arrays to learn these facts.
Squares (2 x 2, 3 x 3, 4 x 4, etc.)
Show students arrays to help them learn these facts.
Using known facts to figure out another fact
Adding or subtracting a group
A student uses a known fact and then adds or subtracts a group to determine the total.
Example: I don’t know 9 x 6, but I know 10 x 6 = 60. Then, I subtract one group of six. 60 - 6 = 54.
I don’t know 5 x 6, but I know 5 x 5 = 25. Then I think I have to add on one more group of 5. Now I get 30.
Breaking apart the factors to find other known multiplication problems
Break apart one of the factors into easier facts, find the known facts, and then add the sums.
Example: I don’t know 7 x 8, but I can break apart the 7 into 5 + 2 and multiply these each by 8.. I know 5 x 8 = 40 and 2 x 8 = 16. Then I add these together to get 40 + 16 = 56.
