How to Do Multiplication
5 Minutes
Multiplication for kids: learn how multiplication works as repeated addition using groups of biscuits. A short maths lesson in English.
- Using a calculator and finding the multiplication sign
- Explaining multiplication as repetitive addition
- Finding the total of 6 groups of 5 biscuits using 5 times 6
What this lesson teaches
Multiplication is a mathematical method of repetitive addition, where the same number is added to itself over and over again. It allows someone to quickly calculate the total amount of items without having to count or add them one by one.
The multiplication sign
The symbol used for multiplication looks like the letter X and is commonly spoken as into or times. Just as the plus sign represents standard addition, the multiplication sign instructs a calculator or person to multiply two numbers. For example, pressing the plus sign for 5 and 6 yields 11, but using the multiplication sign gives 30 because the operation changes completely.
Multiplication as repetitive addition
Multiplication directly replaces the process of adding the identical number multiple times. When someone receives five items and then five more, adding them to get ten is quick and simple. However, adding that same group of five again and again soon becomes slow and difficult. Multiplying the size of the group by the total number of groups solves the problem in a single step.
Example from the lesson
- A problem involves finding the total count of biscuits arranged across six equal groups.
- Each of the six groups contains exactly five biscuits.
- Counting all the biscuits individually from one to thirty takes too much time and can lead to skipped numbers.
- Instead of calculating 5 plus 5 plus 5 plus 5 plus 5 plus 5, the problem is written as 5 times 6.
- Both methods give the exact same answer of 30 biscuits, but using multiplication tables is much easier.
Why multiplication is useful
Adding large quantities through repeated addition requires extra time and increases the chance of making a mistake. As more equal sets are introduced, continuing to add each set one after another becomes harder to track mentally. Multiplication makes these tougher calculations manageable because a single table calculation replaces a long chain of addition. It provides a simple shortcut that gives the exact same result with far less effort.