Multiplication and Division

Equal Groups

Children are taught that pictures and symbols can stand for certain amounts of data. Pictographs help make understanding amounts and spotting trends very easy. Using pictographs helps strengthen skills in counting, putting things in order, and making logical conclusions. Activities like making pictographs of favorite things help children make the learning experience more fun.

⭐ What Are Equal Groups?

Equal groups are groups that have the same number of items in each.

We use equal groups to help us understand multiplication and division!

🧁 Example 1: Equal Groups with Pictures

Imagine you have 12 cupcakes, and you want to share them equally among 3 friends.

You can make 3 equal groups:

• Group 1: 🧁🧁🧁🧁
• Group 2: 🧁🧁🧁🧁
• Group 3: 🧁🧁🧁🧁

Each friend gets 4 cupcakes.
✅ 12 cupcakes ÷ 3 = 4 cupcakes in each group

🍎 Example 2: Using Multiplication

Let’s say you see 4 plates, and each plate has 5 apples.

We can say:

4 equal groups of 5 apples = 🍎🍎🍎🍎🍎 + 🍎🍎🍎🍎🍎 + 🍎🍎🍎🍎🍎 + 🍎🍎🍎🍎🍎
✅ That’s 4 × 5 = 20 apples

💡 Tip: How to Spot Equal Groups

Look for clues like:

• "Each group has the same number"
• "Shared equally"
• "Groups of..."

🧠 Why Is This Important?

Understanding equal groups helps you:

• Learn multiplication and division
• Solve word problems
• Think logically and organize information

Times Tables

Multiplication facts are one of the first things kids practice, often learning 2s, 5s, and 10s to begin with. Guide kids through skip counting using songs, rhythms, and fun games. Knowing one s times tables well makes it quicker and easier to handle bigger numbers. When something is done repeatedly or in a pattern, it helps children connect it to multiplication.

✖️ What Are Times Tables?

Times tables are lists that help you learn multiplication quickly.

They show how to add the same number again and again.

✅ Multiplication is just repeated addition!

🍕 Example: 3 Times Table

Let’s look at the 3 times table:

• 1 × 3 = 3 → 1 group of 3 = 🍕🍕🍕
• 2 × 3 = 6 → 2 groups of 3 = 🍕🍕🍕 + 🍕🍕🍕
• 3 × 3 = 9 → 3 groups of 3 = 🍕🍕🍕 + 🍕🍕🍕 + 🍕🍕🍕

So,
📘 3 × 1 = 3
📘 3 × 2 = 6
📘 3 × 3 = 9
...and so on!

🎵 Fun Trick: Use Rhythms or Songs

You can sing or chant your times tables to help you remember!

🎶 "One times three is three... Two times three is six..."

🧠 Why Learn Times Tables?

Knowing your times tables helps you:

• Solve problems faster
• Do division easily
• Understand math patterns
• Build math confidence!

🧩 Times Table Patterns

Times tables often follow cool patterns!

Example:
✅ 5 times table always ends in 0 or 5:
5, 10, 15, 20, 25...

✅ 10 times table always ends in 0:
10, 20, 30, 40...

🎯 Quick Practice

Try these:

• What is 4 × 2?
• What is 6 × 5?
• What is 9 × 3?

🔢 Tip: Practice One Table at a Time

Start with easy ones like:
✅ 2, 5, and 10
Then try:
✅ 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9

Division as Sharing

They learn to divide evenly by dividing their resources between different groups, which helps them see how division is used daily. It helps students to use counters, draw pictures, or make bar models. This process of division as sharing gives students a fairness lesson, leading to understanding the meaning of remainders. It also helps you make the link between multiplication and division.

➗ What Is Division as Sharing?

Division as sharing means splitting something equally between groups.

✅ Everyone gets the same amount!

It helps us answer questions like:
“If I share 12 apples with 3 friends, how many does each friend get?”

🍎 Example 1: Sharing Apples

You have 12 apples 🍎🍎🍎🍎🍎🍎🍎🍎🍎🍎🍎🍎
You want to share them equally with 3 friends.

So, you make 3 equal groups:

• Friend 1: 🍎🍎🍎🍎
• Friend 2: 🍎🍎🍎🍎
• Friend 3: 🍎🍎🍎🍎

Each friend gets 4 apples.
✅ This is 12 ÷ 3 = 4

🧁 Example 2: Sharing Cupcakes

You baked 10 cupcakes. You want to give them to 5 children equally.

Ask: How many cupcakes does each child get?

10 ÷ 5 = 2
✅ Each child gets 2 cupcakes 🧁🧁

🎯 Division as Sharing = Equal Groups

It’s the opposite of multiplication. If multiplication puts things into equal groups, division takes a big group and splits it equally.

💡 Tip: Use Pictures or Counters

Drawing or using objects makes it easier to understand. You can use coins, blocks, marbles — anything fun!

🧠 Why Learn This?

Understanding division as sharing helps you:

• Divide numbers easily
• Solve word problems
• Think logically about fair sharing

✅ Practice Time!

Share 8 pencils equally among 4 kids. How many does each get?

15 cookies are shared among 5 friends. How many per friend?