Skip the Stress: The Multiplication Tricks I Use with My Own Kids
- Purpose in the Journey
- Sep 13
- 6 min read
Updated: Sep 14
Teaching Multiplication at Home: 3 Steps Kids Actually Get
Math often feels overwhelming for kids (and honestly, for us as parents too!). But the truth is, numbers aren’t chaotic—they follow patterns and rules that make sense. When our children understand this early on, it makes later math topics—like algebra and geometry—much easier to tackle. As Christians, we know this isn’t by accident; God created the world with order and purpose. He’s not a God of confusion (1 Corinthians 14:33), and math reflects that same design.
Teaching multiplication is no exception! Showing children how numbers work rather than relying on rote memorization lays the foundation for the entire process. To make it easier for kids (and less stressful for parents), I’ve broken multiplication into three simple, hands-on steps:
Master Skip Counting – Using patterns and physical counters to help kids see the rhythm in numbers.
Practice Repeated Addition & Arrays – Connecting skip counting to addition and visual groupings to build understanding.
Learn Multiplication – Combining what they’ve learned into multiplication facts, using manipulatives and breaking larger problems into manageable pieces.
My hope is that this process will guide you as you guide your child through their own math journey—whether you’re following a structured homeschool curriculum or supporting learning at home without formal training.
Step 1 - Master Skip Counting
Your child has a good understanding of counting by 1s, so now what? Introduce skip counting!
Get out some counters of some sort (we like using mini erasers and keep them in these small containers, but you can use anything at home that you have a lot of). Starting with a physical item is important - little minds work best with ideas they can SEE.
Set out 20-30 mini erasers and first count them by 1s. Ask questions like, "Do you think there's a faster way to count these erasers?" or "What if we had 100 erasers? How long would it take to count them?" When they see the need for an easier way, they'll more more likely to lock in and learn to skip count.
Explain that we can count many ways. I like to explain it as a shortcut. Can you always count by 1s? Yes. But is it always the most efficient? No.
After creating the need - group the erasers by 2 and lead them by counting by 2s. Do this several times and ask them to repeat after you. If you've already established using a number chart when counting by 1s, show your child how you are skipping a number each time. Ask them to say the even numbers and you say skip while pointing to the odd numbers.
If your child doesn’t pick it up right away, that’s okay! The goal is exposure and consistency, not perfection on the first try
Practice! Practicing with the physical items frequently is important. At this point, also practice chanting the numbers together (in the car, on a walk, while playing catch - math doesn't have to be confined to a desk).
When they've mastered counting by 2s, move on to 5s and 10s using the same process.
Skip counting songs are a fun way to get extra practice in! Create a playlist on YouTube or use one that I put together for my kids.
Skip counting is the bridge to multiplication—it helps kids see that multiplication is really just repeated addition.
Step 2 - Practice Repeated Addition & Arrays
I'm interrupting Step 1 because you can start working with repeated addition and arrays in tandem to the skip counting process. We're still building that foundation!
If your child has started basic addition, talk about how skip counting plays into that. Get your mini erasers out again as well as a white board, Expo markers, and a cool eraser.
Start with 4 mini erasers and group them into 2 groups of 2. Skip count by 2s to 4 to count the total number of erasers.
Use the white board to show the addition 2+2=4.
Do the same thing, but with more erasers. Set out 10 erasers and group them into 5 groups of 2. Skip count by 2s to 10 to count the total number or erasers.
This time ask your child to write the addition fact (2+2+2+2+2=10) with your guidance.
Keep doing this until your child feels confident. Even if you haven't practiced skip counting by anything other than 2, try grouping other values together to give that little mind some problem solving practice!
Working with arrays is a similar process and can be done before or after the repeated addition exercise above. An array is a visual arrangement of objects in equal rows or columns to model multiplication - for example a 2x4 array would be represented by 2 rows with 4 objects in each row.
Set your mini erasers on your white board in an array. Start simple.
Model drawing a line between your rows or columns to separate the erasers into equal groups. The 2x4 example could be both 2 groups of 4 or 4 groups of 2.
For children that are more visual learners, this is a great step because they have to draw a line to physically separate the erasers before counting.
2x4 array, separated by vertical lines
Skip count to determine how many erasers you have.
Include the repeated addition sentence to make the connection between the two methods.
Point out arrays in real life - an egg carton, a Lego piece, a Hershey's Milk Chocolate bar, watercolors, a box of donuts, crayons in their box. Ask your child to think of real life examples that are organized in an array.
Revisit Step 1 Often
As you work on repeated addition and arrays, continue working on skip counting by other values. My suggestion: move from 2s to 5s, 10s, 3s, 4s, 6s, 7s, 8s, and 9s. There's flexibility on how you introduce these. Some parents may prefer to skip count by 10s first. You know your child - do what's best for him or her!
Once kids see the connection between skip counting, addition, and arrays, they’re ready to put it all together in Step 3—multiplication facts!
Step 3 - Learn Multiplication!
You've given your child a solid foundation - now let's put it all together with multiplication.
Draw an array or create one using your erasers. Continue using language such as 3 groups of 2, but share that you'll be combining the repeated addition into a simpler operation called Multiplication.
Write 2+2+2=6 on your whiteboard. Encourage your child to say "3 groups of 2." Count the number of twos, if necessary.
Explain that "3 groups of 2" can be written as 3x2.
Practice this step with other groups. Encourage your child to write out the repeated addition as well as the multiplication.
Tip: you don't need to focus on the product (answer to the multiplication problem) in this moment. Help your child transfer the repeated addition into the multiplication first.
Once your child feels more confident with "skipping" the repeated addition portion, begin focusing on the answer to each problem.
Introduce vocabulary like "factor" and "product" to help in later math topics.
Simple definitions I like to use: for "product" is the answer to a multiplication problem and for "factor" is the set of numbers that you're multiplying together to get that product. (These are, by no means, formal definitions!)
Encourage them to use the counters to create each grouping or to use their skip counting skills to arrive at each answer.
As your child progresses to more challenging problems with larger factors, encourage them to grab the erasers again and break the problem into two smaller multiplication problems. Remind them that multiplication is just repeated addition, and it’s perfectly okay to write it in different ways. Example: 8x6 is the same as (3x6)+(5x6). This approach can also build confidence with mental math later on. Seeing how numbers work together in this way is incredibly valuable for developing your child’s number sense.
Start with what they know! Relying on previously learned information is extremely helpful when learning new information. In the example in the photo, my child already knew his 10s and 2s multiplication facts. We used that to his advantage and created this grouping to help find the product of 12x3.
Teaching multiplication doesn’t have to be stressful—for you or your child. By starting with skip counting, building repeated addition skills, and using arrays, your child can develop confidence, strong number sense, and a clear understanding of how numbers work together.
Every child’s journey is unique, and progress is more important than perfection. If you’d like extra support along the way, I offer one-on-one math tutoring for students and coaching for parents to help you feel confident guiding math at home. Together, we can make math a meaningful, engaging, and stress-free part of your homeschool journey.
Bonus!
While we use hands-on learning in addition to workbooks for much of our math, we also like to incorporate technology to reinforce and practice skills. To help your child master multiplication facts, I’ve put together a list of my favorite websites and apps that make learning fun and effective.
If you’d like access to my full list of favorite multiplication websites and apps, plus additional tips, printables, and resources to make math at home easier and more fun, join my email list below. You’ll get free resources delivered straight to your inbox so you can support your child’s math journey with confidence!
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