Multiplying and dividing in story problems
In 3rd grade, children learn to read a word problem about equal groups, rows, or measurements and decide whether it calls for multiplication or division within 100.
By Robert “Bobby” BarnettMath teacher, parent, and founder of Bobby’s Math Club
Try these with your child
These are real questions from our 3rd grade 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
Ravi finds 16 socks in the laundry. He puts them into pairs, with 2 socks in each pair. How many pairs does he make?
- 8
- 32
- 14
Why this matters
Knowing 6 x 8 = 48 helps your child only when they can tell that a situation calls for it. Choosing the operation from the words of a story is what turns facts into problem solving. It sits behind two-step problems later this year, bigger multiplication and division in 4th grade, and the everyday math of rows, packs, shares, and measurements.
Where kids can get stuck
- Choosing an operation from a key word, such as dividing whenever they see "each," even when the story needs multiplication.
- Using every number in the problem, so an extra detail like the days in a week ends up in the calculation.
- Leaving off what the answer counts, writing 48 instead of 48 plants, and losing track of what it means.
How you can help
- Turn real moments into short word problems, such as asking how many juice boxes are in 3 packs of 8, and let your child explain how they knew to multiply.
- Ask your child to draw a quick picture for a problem you make up at dinner, like 24 strawberries shared among 4 plates, before they work out the answer.
- Look at a muffin tin, window panes, or a carton of eggs and ask your child to make up their own question about it for you to solve.
Bobby's Math Club offers free practice that grows with your child.
Questions parents ask
Why is my child drawing pictures for word problems before solving them?
A quick drawing helps your child see what the story is asking before they pick an operation. Many errors in word problems come from guessing whether to multiply or divide. The picture shows whether the story describes equal groups being joined or a total being split. As problems get easier for your child, the drawings naturally get smaller and eventually disappear.
Should my child look for key words like "each" or "in all"?
Key words can mislead. "Each" appears in both multiplication and division problems, and "in all" can come up in either too. It works better to have your child retell the story in their own words and ask what they know and what they are trying to find. That habit keeps working when problems become longer and less predictable.
What does an array word problem look like?
An array is objects arranged in equal rows and columns. A problem might say: "Chairs are set up in 7 rows with 5 chairs in each row. How many chairs are there?" Your child can draw dots in rows and see that 7 x 5 = 35. Arrays later help your child understand area, since a rectangle covered in squares is an array.
Make learning math fun
Bobby's Math Club turns 3rd grade math practice into something fun to do together.
- Unlimited free practice
- A few minutes a day, at just the right level
- You see their progress and what to work on next
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.
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Join the clubNote for teachers: This skill is covered by Common Core math standard 3.OA.A.3: “Use multiplication and division within 100 to solve word problems in situations involving equal groups, arrays, and measurement quantities, e.g., by using drawings and equations with a symbol for the unknown number to represent the problem.” Learn how Bobby's Math Club can help your students grow. (Common Core 3.OA.3)