In year 6, multiplication and division focusses on long multiplication, short and long division, mental calculations and using estimation, identifying common multiples, common factors and prime numbers, using the order of operations and solving problems with all of the above.
This page aims to provide you with all the Year 6 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 objectives in a play-based way.
Teaching Year 6 Multiplication and Division:
| National Curriculum Objective | Things to think about … | Playful Learning Games |
| multiply multi-digit numbers up to 4 digits by a two-digit whole number using the formal written method of long multiplication | Children develop use of a formal written method to answer long multiplication questions. It would be useful to revisit this method, multiplying by a single digit number before moving onto multiplying by a 2 digit number. Ensure when children are multiplying by the number in the tens column that they use a zero as a place holder in the ones column. Children also need a good knowledge of their times tables in order to be confident with these questions. See my Playful Times Table Games for revision on these. | Calculate and Find Maximum Product |
| divide numbers up to 4 digits by a two-digit whole number using the formal written method of long division, and interpret remainders as whole number remainders, fractions, or by rounding, as appropriate for the context | Children are now introduced to long division and should build up first to dividing a 3 digit number by a 2 digit number with no remainders to doing the same with 4 digit numbers and then dividing numbers with remainders. Clear guidance on how to set out this type of division question will be needed along with guidance on how to find the relevant multiples of a times table they are not familiar with, e.g dividing by 13, 21, 17, etc. See my ‘Long Division Hack‘ for a technique you could use for this. When working with remainders, children need to practise interpreting and using the remainder in the context needed for the word problem. Do they need to ignore it, round the remainder up or convert the remainder to a fraction or decimal? The game ‘Bin It, Boost It, Break It’ will help with this. | Calculate and Find Long Division Hack Bin It, Boost It, Break It – Dividing by a 2 digit number |
| divide numbers up to 4 digits by a two-digit number using the formal written method of short division where appropriate, interpreting remainders according to the context | This objective is a revision of previous years when short division was covered, in preparation for learning the written method for long division. Children should answer short division questions with numbers up to 4 digits that both give a whole answer and ones that give a remainder. When working with remainders, children need to practise interpreting and using the remainder in the context needed for the word problem. Do they need to ignore it, round the remainder up or convert the remainder to a fraction or decimal? The game ‘Bin It, Boost It, Break It’ will help with this. | The Remainder Relay Calculate and Find Short Division Four In A Row Leftover Lottery – Division With Remainders Bin It, Boost It, Break It – Dividing by a 1 digit number |
| perform mental calculations, including with mixed operations and large numbers | For this objective, children need to pull on their existing knowledge of place value, inverse operations, commutativity and mental strategies to help them answer these types of questions. Encourage a big focus on reasoning for the activities that you do so that children are explaining what strategies they used and what previous learning they drew on to answer the question. When performing mental calculations, children often want to solve it using a formal written method so care needs to be taken to model to children how to use effective strategies when solving calculations mentally and why we are using them. | Friendly Numbers Match The Easy Route |
| identify common factors, common multiples and prime numbers | This is a recap of the learning that has taken place in years 4 and 5. Children may be used to using visual representations to help them find factors and multiples but you should also encourage the use of times tables and the rules of divisibility as a more efficient method. Ensure children don’t get confused with factors, multiples and prime numbers and ensure they have found all factors and common multiples by being systematic. | Factor Dice Factor Find Factor Flick Spot the Common Multiples Multiple Flick Prime Cafe Prime Number Flick |
| Use their knowledge of the order of operations to carry out calculations involving the four operations | Children learn that complex calculations have an order of operations and that certain operations have priority over others. Calculations in brackets come first, then solve the powers and then multiplication and division have equal priority but should be completed before addition and subtraction. Children may become confused with BODMAS and BIDMAS as they may think that addition has to be done before subtraction, for example. | Order of Operations Order of Operations Match |
| solve problems involving addition, subtraction, multiplication and division | This objective uses all of the skills learnt above to apply to multiplication and division. | |
| use estimation to check answers to calculations and determine, in the context of a problem, an appropriate degree of accuracy | This objective is again a recap from previous years and its main focus is to encourage children to use estimation in order to sense-check their work, either before or after they complete the actual calculation. Rounding plays an important part in this objective so time should be spent revisiting this to ensure children are confident. Rounding Fortune Tellers and Rounding Shove Ha’Penny are good games to support this. | Rounding Fortune Tellers Rounding Shove Ha’Penny Price Tag Panic |