Break a hard multiplication into easy parts — by column, or in a grid.
18 questions · 4 sections · two interactive methods · no time pressure
What's really happening
Nobody multiplies 27 × 14 in one go. The trick is to split the multiplier into its tens and units, multiply by each part separately, then add. So 27 × 14 becomes 27 × 4 and 27 × 10, added together.
The key idea: the two methods below are the same maths shown two ways. The column method stacks the parts; the grid method lays them in a box. Pick whichever you can keep tidy — tidiness is what stops mistakes.
Method 1 — the column method
Multiply by the units, then by the tens (remembering the tens digit means ×10), then add the two parts. Tap through it:
Column method · partial products27 × 14
Set out with units lined up. Tap Next step to multiply by the units digit first.
Method 2 — the grid method
Split both numbers into tens and units, multiply every part by every part in the grid, then add all the boxes. Tap to fill each box:
Grid method · partial products34 × 26
34 splits into 30 + 4, and 26 into 20 + 6. Tap Next box to fill the grid one box at a time.
A bigger one — 213 × 23 in a grid
The grid just grows. Split 213 into 200 + 10 + 3 and 23 into 20 + 3:
20 × 200 = 4000 · 20 × 10 = 200 · 20 × 3 = 60
3 × 200 = 600 · 3 × 10 = 30 · 3 × 3 = 9
Add the six boxes: 4000 + 200 + 60 + 600 + 30 + 9 = 4899. Check: a rough estimate 200 × 23 = 4600 — so 4899 is sensible. ✓
Common slipWhen you multiply by the tens digit, it stands for tens. The 1 in 14 means 10, so 27 × 10 = 270, not 27. Writing the second part without its place value (270) — or forgetting its 0 — is the most common mistake.
Learning Objective 1 · Year 5–6
Section A · 2-digit × 2-digit
Multiply a two-digit number by a two-digit number using a written method.
Success criteria — I can:
split the multiplier into tens and units
multiply by each part
add the parts to get the answer
Learning Objective 2 · Year 6–7
Section B · 3-digit × 2-digit
Multiply a three-digit number by a two-digit number, keeping place value tidy.
Success criteria — I can:
set out a three-digit multiplicand correctly
handle carrying within each part
line the two parts up by place value before adding
Learning Objective 3 · Year 7–8
Section C · Challenge
Multiply larger numbers, including four-digit multiplicands, accurately by hand.
Success criteria — I can:
stay accurate with bigger numbers
estimate first to sense-check the answer
choose the method I keep tidiest
Learning Objective 4 · Year 6–8
Section D · Real-life problems
Recognise when a problem needs multiplying, then solve it by hand.
Success criteria — I can:
spot the words that mean “multiply” (each, per, in total)
set the calculation out clearly
answer with the correct units
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