Multiplication and Divisions — Year 3 Maths

Year 3 multiplication and division: what pupils learn

Year 3 adds the 3, 4 and 8 times tables to the 2, 5 and 10 tables learned in Year 2, and pupils start multiplying two-digit numbers by one-digit numbers, moving from mental methods towards written ones.

By the end of Year 3, the National Curriculum expects pupils to:

• count from 0 in multiples of 4, 8, 50 and 100
• recall and use multiplication and division facts for the 3, 4 and 8 times tables
• write and calculate multiplication and division statements using the tables they know, including two-digit numbers times one-digit numbers
• use mental methods first, progressing to formal written methods
• solve problems, including missing number problems, scaling problems and correspondence problems (for example, how many outfits can be made from 3 tops and 4 skirts)

Key vocabulary

multiply, times, product, multiple, divide, share, group, divisible, remainder, inverse, array, times table

How it builds

Year 3 builds on the 2, 5 and 10 times tables from Year 2. In Year 4, pupils learn all times tables up to 12 × 12, ready for the national Multiplication Tables Check in June of Year 4.

Frequently asked questions

Which times tables should a Year 3 child know?
The 2, 5 and 10 tables from Year 2, plus the 3, 4 and 8 tables, which are new in Year 3.

How are the 4 and 8 times tables connected?
Every answer in the 4 times table doubled gives the 8 times table answer: 4 × 6 = 24, so 8 × 6 = 48. Spotting links like this makes new tables much quicker to learn.

What does “inverse” mean?
Multiplication and division undo each other. If 3 × 8 = 24, then 24 ÷ 8 = 3 and 24 ÷ 3 = 8, so one known fact gives you three more.

Start with our free resources, or get every Year 3 maths lesson with a membership.