Engaging Multiplication Strategies with CONNETIX: Hands-on Learning for Kids

2 x 2 digit



Now, if we make the equation a 2×2 digit, we simply need to add another row below the one we already started with. Let’s use the example 23×34.



• Place four tiles down making a large square, this is where we will write the answers.
• Add 4 tiles around the outside of the four you first put down, two above and two on the left. This is where you will write the numbers that need to be multiplied.
• Write 20 in the first far left box, 3 in the second far left box, 30 in the first box on the top and 4 in the second box on the top.
• Repeat the process of multiplying the numbers that meet in each box. 20×30=600, 20×4=80, 3×30=90, 3×4=12.
• Add all four answers together. 600+80+90+12=782 The process is the same regardless of how many digits are in the multiplication equation.



In this method learners are exposed to the concept of how multiplication is really solved, by multiplying all the individual numbers according to their place value.

2 x 1 digit



We will use the same example as before, 2×34.



• Set your tiles up in the same way as the area/box method by placing two tiles down next to each other horizontally, this is where we will write the answers.
• Add 3 tiles around the outside of the two you first put down, two above and one on the left. This is where you will write the numbers that need to be multiplied.
• Write the digit 2 in the very left tile, in the first tile on the top write the digit 3 and on the second tile on the top write the digit 4. This is where the two methods begin to differ, we don’t need to use place value in the lattice method. We are just multiplying the individual digits.
• Draw a diagonal line through each tile where our answers will be written. The left triangle of each box represents the tens place value column and the right triangle represents the ones place value column.
• Multiply the numbers that correspond with each tile (or box). Multiply 2×3=6, so in the right side of the box we write the digit 6, there are 0 tens so we could write 0 on the left or leave it blank. Multiply 2×4=8 and repeat the process.
• Insert two extra tiles below the bottom row. If you like, you can remove the original multiplying tiles with the digits 2, 3 and 4.
• Starting from the right, add the numbers that sit in each diagonal column, just as we would in traditional vertical addition. First, we add 8 and nothing else, as there’s no other numbers to add. Write this on the tile below the 8.
• We can also forget that we split our tiles into tens and ones as we will be adding.
• Repeat this again by adding the digits in the next column to the left, 0+6=6. Write the answer on the tile to the left of the 8.
• Now you can see the answer is 68 as well!
• If we did have a three-digit answer here we would have needed an extra tile to write this answer on in the final column.



2 x 2 digit

Again, if we make the equation a 2×2 digit, we simply need to add another row below the one we already started with and draw in the diagonal lines. Let’s use the same example as before, 23×34.



• Set your tiles up in the same way as the area/box method by placing four tiles down making a large square, this is where we will write the answers.
• Add 4 tiles around the outside of the four you first put down, two above and two on the left. This is where you will write the numbers that need to be multiplied.
• Write 2 in the first far left box, 3 in the second far left box, 3 in the first box on the top and 4 in the second box on the top. Again, this is where the two methods differ, we don’t need to use place value in the lattice method. We are just multiplying the individual digits.
• Draw a diagonal line through each tile where our answers will be written. The left triangle of each box represents the tens place value column and the right triangle represents the ones place value column.
• Multiply the numbers that correspond with each tile (or box). 2×3=6, 2×4=8, 3×3=9 and 3×4=12. For each answer, write the ones in the right of each triangle and the tens in the left of each triangle. Where there are 0 tens so we could write 0 on the left or leave it blank.
• Insert three extra tiles below the bottom row. If you like, you can remove the original multiplying tiles with the digits 2, 3, 3 and 4.
• Starting from the right, add the numbers that sit in the same diagonal column, just as we would in traditional vertical addition. First, we add 2 and nothing else, as there’s no other numbers to add. Write this on the tile below the 12.
• We can also forget that we split our tiles into tens and ones as we will be adding.
• Repeat this again by adding the digits in the next column to the left, 8+1+9=18. Write the 8 on the tile to the left of the 2. As you can see you will need to carry a ten over to the next place value column when moving from the tens to hundreds, you do this just as you normally would with vertical addition.
• Repeat again and add the 1+6=7. Write this one the third tile.



Now you can see the answer is 782 as well! Regardless of how many digits are in the multiplication equation, the process is the same.