3rd grade · Math · Unit 2 of 14
Multiplication
Equal groups and arrays
What your child practices
Understanding multiplication as equal groups, arrays, repeated addition and skip counting. Easier sets use 2s, 5s and 10s; stretch sets go beyond 5 × 5.
Arizona Academic Standards learning standard: 3.OA.A.1; 3.OA.B.5; 3.OA.C.7 · multiplication as equal groups, properties of multiplication, and multiplying within 100
How we explain it
Children can open this short lesson before they practice.
- 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
Multiplication in Arizona
In the Arizona Academic Standards, this is unit 2 of 14 in 3rd grade Math, after Add & Subtract and before Division.
Gradelings describes a child's practice on this unit as Beginning, Approaching, Meeting or Exceeding (Four practice steps). That reflects practice, not a report-card mark: the teacher decides the mark.
Source: Arizona Department of Education
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
What is 2 × 5?
2 × 5 = ?
answer box
10
Hint: Count by 5s 2 times: 5, 10.
Question 2
2 × 5 = 10. So what is 5 × 2?
5 × 2 = ?
- 5
- 12
- 7
- 10
10
Hint: You can multiply in any order. 5 rows of 2 is the same number as 2 rows of 5: 10.
Question 3
Sofia has 4 plates with 2 cookies in each plate. How many cookies in all?
🍪4 groups of 2answer box
8
Hint: 4 groups of 2 is 4 × 2. Count by 2s 4 times: 2, 4, 6, 8.
Question 4
A frog makes 2 hops. Each hop is 5 long. Where does it land?
- 10
- 5
- 15
- 7
10
Hint: Count by 5s, once for each hop: 5, 10. That's 2 × 5 = 10.
Question 5
How many 🍓 are in the array?
🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓answer box
16
Hint: There are 4 rows of 4, so it's 4 × 4. Count by 4s 4 times: 4, 8, 12, 16.
Question 6
What is 4 × 4?
4 × 4 = ?
- 16
- 20
- 12
- 8
16
Hint: Count by 4s 4 times: 4, 8, 12, 16.