Multiplication — Victorian Year 3 Maths
Multiplication as equal groups and arrays, quick recall of the 2, 5, 10, 3 and 4 facts, and turn-around facts that mean fewer facts to learn. Four subtopics and 80 questions, aligned to VC2M3N05 and VC2M3A03.
Multiplication in Victorian Year 3
Multiplication is a quick way to count equal groups. In this topic Year 3 students see multiplication as groups and arrays, learn the 2, 5, 10, 3 and 4 facts, and use turn-around facts to learn them faster.
The four subtopics below cover multiplication as equal groups and arrays, the multiplication facts for 2, 5 and 10, the facts for 3 and 4, and the commutative property of multiplication. Multiplication is one of the 18 topics in Victorian Year 3 Maths and draws on the Number and Algebra strands. It covers Victorian Curriculum 2.0 codes VC2M3N05 and VC2M3A03. Multiplication leads straight into Division, where the same facts are used backwards, and into fractions of a collection.
Subtopics
Multiplication: common questions
What does the times sign mean?
It means groups of. \(3 \times 7\) is 3 groups of 7, which you can show as 3 rows of 7 dots in an array. Skip counting by sevens, 7, 14, 21, gives the total of 21.
Why do arrays help with multiplication?
An array shows equal rows at a glance, so a child can count by rows instead of by ones. Turning an array a quarter turn swaps the rows and columns but keeps every dot, which shows that \(6 \times 8 = 8 \times 6\). Knowing one fact gives its turn-around fact too.
What is the best way to learn the times tables?
Build them in order. Twos are doubles, tens follow the counting-in-tens pattern, and fives are half of tens. Fours are double the twos, so \(4 \times 7\) is double \(2 \times 7\). Threes can be skip counted: 3, 6, 9, 12. A few minutes a day works better than one long session.
What mistakes do children make with multiplication?
Mixing up the number of groups with the size of each group, losing their place when skip counting, and adding instead of multiplying, so \(4 \times 5\) becomes 9. Drawing the groups or an array usually sorts it out.
Which curriculum codes cover Multiplication in Victorian Year 3?
The subtopics come under Victorian Curriculum 2.0 codes VC2M3N05 (multiplying and dividing with groups, arrays and number sentences) and VC2M3A03 (recalling multiplication facts and the matching division facts).