Long and short multiplication practice
Multiplying bigger numbers builds on the times tables. Noggli moves from multiplying by 10 and 100, through short multiplication, to long multiplication and decimals.
What your child practises
- Year 4multiply by 10 and 100 and multiples of 10
- Year 4multiply a two-digit number by a one-digit number
- Year 5multiply a three-digit number by a one-digit number
- Year 6multiply two two-digit numbers
- Year 6multiply decimals and multiply or divide by 10, 100 and 1,000
Mix-ups Noggli looks out for
- In long multiplication, only multiplies tens by tens and ones by ones
- Loses the decimal point when multiplying decimals
Short multiplication
Short multiplication is a three-digit or four-digit number times a one-digit number, done in columns: 212 × 4 = 848. Children meet it in Years 4 and 5.
Long multiplication
Long multiplication multiplies by a two-digit number in two rows, then adds them. For 36 × 23: 36 × 3 = 108, 36 × 20 = 720, and 108 + 720 = 828. The most common slip is multiplying tens by tens and ones by ones only, so Noggli checks for that.
Year 6 also covers multiplying decimals by whole numbers and by 10, 100 and 1,000.
Helping at home
- Estimate first: 36 × 23 is about 40 × 20 = 800, so 828 is sensible and 618 is not.
- Use the grid method to see where every part comes from before moving to columns.
- Keep digits in neat columns. Squared paper helps a lot.
Made for children who worry about getting it wrong
A clue, not a cross
A wrong answer gets a clue and another go. A second miss shows how it works, step by step.
No clock
Nothing counts down. Confidence first, speed follows on its own.
The right level
After a few questions Noggli knows where your child is, and every question after that adapts.
Related practice
Questions parents ask
What is the difference between long and short multiplication?
Short multiplication multiplies by a single digit in one row. Long multiplication multiplies by a two-digit number, using a row for each digit and then adding the rows.
What year do children learn long multiplication?
Multiplying by a one-digit number starts in Year 4. Long multiplication by a two-digit number is Year 5 and Year 6.
My child gets a much smaller answer. Why?
If 36 × 23 comes out as 618, they may be multiplying 3 × 2 and 6 × 3 only. Noggli spots this and shows all four parts of the calculation.
Practise this every day, at the right level
Noggli works out where your child is in every topic and adjusts each question to suit. Free, with no timers, no scores and no child accounts.