In year 4, multiplication and division focusses on recalling multiplication and division facts for multiplication tables up to 12 × 12, using place value, known and derived facts to multiply and divide mentally, recognise and use factor pairs and commutativity in mental calculations, multiplying two-digit and three-digit numbers by a one-digit number using formal written layout and solving problems involving multiplying and adding.
This page aims to provide you with all the Year 4 Multiplication and Division National Curriculum objectives, along with some guidance for each objective and a range of games and activities that can be used to meet the learning objective in a play-based way.
Teaching Year 4 Multiplication and Division:
| National Curriculum Objective | Things to think about … | Playful Learning Games |
| Recall multiplication and division facts for multiplication tables up to 12 × 12 | In year 4, children will recall multiplication and division facts for multiplication tables up to 12 × 12, particularly focussing on 3, 6, 9, 7, 11 and 12 times tables. Children should have plenty of opportunities to explore each times table and make links between the times tables they are learning. The focus should not be on rote learning but on finding patterns, understanding the times tables and making links using lots of manipulatives and visuals. Links should also be made with related division facts as well as multiplication. | Click here for a huge range of printable playful times table games Click here for FREE times table game ideas Share Them Out – Simple Division with Remainders |
| Use place value, known and derived facts to multiply and divide mentally, including: multiplying by 0 and 1; dividing by 1; multiplying together three numbers | There are lots of different elements to cover in this objective. Children will learn what happens to a number when we multiply it by 1 and 0. Misconceptions often occur when multiplying by 0 so activities need to focus round visual representations to ensure children understand this. Another strand to this objective is for children to learn to divide a number by 1 or itself. Again, visual representations are key to helping children to understand this concept. Children also learn how to multiply 3 numbers together, focussing on grouping the numbers effectively to make it easier to multiply them together. Support will be needed to ensure children don’t simply work from left to right as this may not be the most efficient method. We also focus on dividing a 2 and 3 digit number by a 1 digit number, using informal methods, with and without a remainder. Remind children to use their times table knowledge to help them solve problems. | BBC Bitesize Explanation – Multiplying and Dividing by 1 and 0 Multiply by 1 and 0 Pairs Dividing by 1 and Itself ‘4 In a Row’ Multiply 3 single digit numbers Keep the Remainder – dividing a 2 digit number by a 1 digit number Partition and Divide – dividing a 3 digit number by a 1 digit number (with no remainders) |
| Recognise and use factor pairs and commutativity in mental calculations | This is the first time that children have learnt about factors and get to grips with what they are. This will be new vocabulary to them, along with factor pairs. It’s important for children to work systematically when finding the factors of a number to ensure they have found all of them. This could be a new concept for them to get to grips with. Lots of practical and visual activities are needed to help children understand and embed this concept. | Solving Arrays Problems Practically Factor Find Find the Factor Pairs |
| Multiply two-digit and three-digit numbers by a one-digit number using formal written layout | For this objective, we first need to start with using informal methods of multiplication so that children can fully understand what happens when we multiply a 2 or 3 digit number by a 1 digit number. Place value charts and base 10, moving onto place value counters are good resources to use. Once children have grasped this concept, they should then be introduced to formal methods of multiplication, using the informal methods alongside for support. Start off with multiplications with no exchanges and then progress to questions which involve exchanges. | Multiple Multiplication Calculate and Find |
| Solve problems involving multiplying and adding, including using the distributive law to multiply two digit numbers by one digit, integer scaling problems and harder correspondence problems such as n objects are connected to m objects | For all of the objective above, children should be exposed to problem solving and reasoning questions. Ensure children are given full access to a range of resources to use when solving these types of problems. |