enVision Mathematics Grade 4, Topic 3: Use Strategies and Properties to Multiply by 1-Digit Numbers
In this unit, your child multiplies numbers up to four digits by a one-digit number, using place value, the area model, and partial products. They read multiplication as a comparison, like "3 times as many," and solve story problems with it. It follows the adding and subtracting unit and leads into multiplying two-digit numbers by each other.
By Robert “Bobby” BarnettMath teacher, parent, and founder of Bobby’s Math Club
What is my child learning in Topic 3?
- Reading 35 = 5 × 7 as a comparison: 35 is 5 times as many as 7, and 7 times as many as 5. Learn more: Reading multiplication as "times as many"
- Solving "times as many" story problems with a bar model and an equation, and telling them apart from "more than" problems. Learn more: Story problems about "times as many"
- Solving multi-step stories that mix multiplying with adding or subtracting, and checking with an estimate. Learn more: Multi-step story problems and leftovers
- Multiplying numbers like 6 × 124 or 4 × 2,315 by breaking the larger number into thousands, hundreds, tens, and ones. Learn more about multiplying large numbers by a one-digit number: Multiplying large numbers by a one-digit number · Learn more about multiplying two two-digit numbers
Sample questions to try together
These are real questions from our practice. Tap the speaker to hear one read aloud, or the light bulb for a hint, and talk about the answer together.
Question 1 of 3
A man is 6 feet tall. A giraffe is 3 times as tall as the man. Which equation finds g, the giraffe's height in feet?
- g = 3 × 6
- 6 = 3 × g
- g = 3 + 6
How you can help
- Count snacks in boxes. If 6 boxes each hold 124 crackers, ask your child to find the total in parts: 600 + 120 + 24 = 744.
- Build a tower of 3 blocks, then one 4 times as tall. Say it together: 12 is 4 times as many as 3, and write 12 = 4 × 3.
- Make up a store story. If a small bag of apples costs $4 and a big bag costs 3 times as much, ask what the big bag costs, and how that differs from $3 more.
Where kids can get stuck
- Adding instead of multiplying, so "3 times as much as $6" becomes $9 instead of $18.
- Forgetting a place, so 6 × 124 comes out as 624 instead of 744, skipping 6 × 20.
- Multiplying whenever they see "times," so "18 is 3 times as many as what?" gets 54, not 6.
Practice makes perfect
Bobby's Math Club has practice problems that adapt to your child’s level, each with a detailed explanation and an easy-to-follow video, so your child can build confidence in these skills one step at a time.
Words your child will hear
- times as many
- A way to compare two amounts by saying how many copies of one make the other.
- multiplicative comparison
- Comparing two amounts by multiplying, as in "15 is 3 times as many as 5."
- equation
- A number sentence with an equal sign, showing both sides have the same value.
- product
- The answer to a multiplication problem.
- partial products
- The smaller products you get by multiplying each place separately, which are then added together.
- area model
- A rectangle split into parts by place value, used to show multiplication or division.
- distributive property
- Breaking a number into parts, multiplying each part, and adding: 6 × 14 = 60 + 24.
Ready to build your child’s confidence with multiplying by one digit?
In Bobby's Math Club, your child practices these skills at just the right level, with a hint when they need one, a clear explanation after every question, and kid-friendly videos. Unlimited practice is free.
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Written by Robert “Bobby” Barnett
Bobby is an award-winning math teacher, the author of Meet Every Learner’s Needs, and the father of two elementary-school math learners. He uses Bobby’s Math Club with his own kids a few times every week. Learn more or contact Bobby.
Which math standards does enVision Mathematics Grade 4 Topic 3 cover?
enVision Mathematics Grade 4 Topic 3 covers these math standards. Each one links to what it means, sample questions, and teaching strategies.
For teachers: Unit names and order vary between editions and districts, so your school’s own materials have the exact sequence. Learn how Bobby's Math Club can help your students grow.