Step by step
- 2 digits by 1. Multiply the ones, carry, then multiply the tens.
- 3 and 4 digits by 1. The same steps across more columns.
- 2 digits by 2. Two partial products, one for the ones and one for the tens, then add them.
- 3 digits by 2. Bigger numbers, the same method.
Times tables first
Long multiplication goes smoothly once the facts are automatic. If they are not yet, practise with the times tables worksheets alongside.Irish curriculum links
- 3rd–4th ClassStage 3: multiplication as equal groups and repeated addition, with the commutative, associative and distributive properties named in the toolkit.
- 5th–6th ClassStage 4: choosing from a range of operation strategies, with estimation and rounding to test whether an answer is reasonable.
- CalculatorsThe toolkit notes that a calculator can free children to focus on strategy, so checking a long answer this way is fair.
Two partial products, one for the units and one for the tens, are the distributive property at work. Asking children to say “24 is 20 and 4” before they start makes the layout make sense, and it links to the mental strategies the curriculum values.
Estimating first is built into the Stage 4 outcomes. Rounding 268 × 24 to about 270 × 25 gives a target to check against, and a calculator can confirm the exact product once the working is finished.
Summarised in our own words from the Primary Mathematics Curriculum (2023) and the NCCA Mathematics Toolkit.
