Question 1
3 bags have 5 apples in each bag. How many apples are there altogether?
3 bags have 5 apples in each bag. How many apples are there altogether?
Count in 5s three times.
Year 2
Solve problems involving multiplication and division, using materials, arrays, repeated addition, mental methods, and multiplication and division facts
Use equal groups, sharing, arrays and known facts from the 2, 5 and 10 tables to solve one-step problems.
Lesson overview
Number - multiplication and division
Some multiplication and division problems ask us to make equal groups. Some ask us to share equally. Some can be shown with arrays or worked out by repeated addition. In Year 2, known facts from the 2, 5 and 10 tables help us solve these problems more quickly and explain what is happening.
There are 4 bags with 5 marbles in each bag. How many marbles are there altogether?
Use 4 groups of 5 or count in 5s: 5, 10, 15, 20.
4 groups of 5 make 20
20 biscuits are shared equally between 5 children. How many biscuits does each child get?
Share 20 equally into 5 groups. Each group gets 4.
20 shared into 5 groups gives 4 in each group
A tray shows 3 rows of 10 strawberries. How many strawberries are there altogether?
Each row has 10, so count three rows of 10.
3 rows of 10 make 30
Worked example
Five toy boxes each hold 2 cars. How many cars are there altogether?
Five toy boxes each hold 2 cars. How many cars are there altogether?
This is a multiplication problem because there are equal groups.
5 groups of 2 make 10
- Look at the groups first. There are 5 toy boxes.
- Each box holds 2 cars.
- Count in 2s five times: 2, 4, 6, 8, 10.
- So there are 10 cars altogether.
Try it
Look at the picture, then use the best multiplication or division idea.
Question 2
10 cubes are shared equally into 2 groups. How many cubes are in each group?
10 cubes are shared equally into 2 groups. How many cubes are in each group?
Share 10 equally into 2 groups.
Question 3
An array has 2 rows of 10 counters. How many counters are there altogether?
An array has 2 rows of 10 counters. How many counters are there altogether?
Count two rows of 10.
Question 4
15 pencils are shared equally between 5 children. How many pencils does each child get?
15 pencils are shared equally between 5 children. How many pencils does each child get?
Use the 15 and 5 fact family.
Question 5
Which method fits this problem best: 4 plates with 2 cakes on each plate?
Which method fits this problem best: 4 plates with 2 cakes on each plate?
Look for equal groups.
Common mistakes
These reminders help when solving supported multiplication and division problems.
- Mixing up how many groups there are with how many are in each group.
- Giving the whole total again when the question asks how many are in each shared group.
- Ignoring the array rows and columns and counting only one row.
- Choosing addition by ones instead of using a known 2, 5 or 10 fact.
Related topics
These connect closely to Year 2 multiplication and division problem solving.
- Recall and use multiplication and division facts for the 2, 5 and 10 multiplication tables, including recognising odd and even numbers.
- Calculate mathematical statements for multiplication and division within the multiplication tables and write them using the multiplication, division and equals signs.
- Show that multiplication of two numbers can be done in any order and division of one number by another cannot.