Home Activity: Multiplication & Division Facts

10-minute activities to practice with your child at home

Dear Families,

Your child is learning multiplication and division facts for numbers 0-12. In third grade, students focus on understanding WHY these facts work, not just memorizing them. These activities help build that understanding while making practice fun!

Why This Matters for the FAST Test

The Florida FAST assessment tests whether students can reliably solve multiplication and division problems using strategies. Students who only memorize without understanding often struggle with word problems and missing-number questions. These activities build both skill AND understanding.

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Activity 1: Fact Family Triangles

Build understanding of how multiplication and division connect

  1. Cut out a triangle from paper (or use the one on this page).
  2. Write the product (larger number) at the top: 42
  3. Write the two factors in the bottom corners: 6 and 7
  4. Have your child create all four facts from the triangle:
    • 6 × 7 = 42
    • 7 × 6 = 42
    • 42 ÷ 6 = 7
    • 42 ÷ 7 = 6
  5. Cover one number and ask: "What's missing?"

You'll Need:

Tip:

Start with easier facts (2s, 5s, 10s) before moving to harder ones (7s, 8s, 9s). The goal is understanding the relationship, not speed.

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Activity 2: Finding Equal Groups at Home

See multiplication in everyday life

  1. Look around your home for items that come in equal groups:
    • Egg cartons (2 rows of 6 = 12)
    • Muffin tins (2 rows of 6 or 3 rows of 4)
    • Shoe pairs (2 shoes per pair)
    • Windows with panes (arrays!)
  2. Ask: "How many groups? How many in each group?"
  3. Write the multiplication equation together.
  4. Then ask the division questions: "If we have 12 eggs and put 6 in each row, how many rows?"
Tip:

At the grocery store, look at how items are packaged. "There are 4 packs of yogurt with 6 in each pack. How many total?"

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Activity 3: "How Did You Solve It?" Game

Build mental math strategies

  1. Give your child a fact like 7 × 8.
  2. Ask them to explain HOW they figured it out (not just the answer).
  3. Celebrate different strategies:
    • Break apart: 5 × 8 = 40, plus 2 × 8 = 16, so 40 + 16 = 56
    • Use a nearby fact: 8 × 8 = 64, minus one 8 = 56
    • Double: 7 × 4 = 28, double it = 56
  4. Share YOUR strategy too! Model thinking out loud.
Tip:

If your child says "I just know it," that's fine! But also ask, "What if you forgot? How could you figure it out?"

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Activity 4: Multiplication War (Card Game)

Fun practice for the whole family

  1. Use a deck of cards (remove face cards, or let Jack=11, Queen=12, King=0).
  2. Each player flips two cards at the same time.
  3. Multiply YOUR two cards together. Say the product out loud.
  4. The player with the HIGHER product wins all four cards.
  5. Keep playing until one player has all the cards (or set a timer).

You'll Need:

Variation:

For division practice, flip THREE cards. Use the two smaller numbers to make a product, then divide by the third. Example: 3, 4, 2 → (3 × 4) ÷ 2 = 6

Questions to Ask Your Child

Resumen en Espanol

Datos de multiplicacion y division: Su hijo esta aprendiendo las tablas de multiplicar (0-12) y los datos de division relacionados. En tercer grado, el enfoque es entender POR QUE funcionan estos datos, no solo memorizarlos.

Actividades en casa:

Pregunta clave: "Si se que 6 × 8 = 48, ¿que datos de division tambien se?"

FAST Success Kit | Grade 3 | FL B.E.S.T. Standards: MA.3.NSO.2.2, MA.3.NSO.2.4
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