Worksheet guide
What is on the grid method sheet
Each question prints a grid with the two numbers already partitioned. For 34 × 6, the columns are headed 30 and 4, the single row is labelled 6, and the two cells plus the total line are left for the child. For 34 × 26, the rows are 20 and 6 and there are four cells to fill.
The labels are the teaching point. A child who has only seen 34 × 6 as a compact multiplication has no reason to believe it is 180 + 24; the grid makes the split visible before the answer appears.
How the method works
Partition both numbers into tens and ones. Multiply each part of the first number by each part of the second, writing the product in the matching cell. Then add the cells together to get the total.
For 34 × 26: 30 × 20 = 600, 30 × 6 = 180, 4 × 20 = 80, 4 × 6 = 24. Add them: 600 + 180 + 80 + 24 = 884. The four products are the same four partial products that appear in a compact long multiplication, just written out in full.
Where it fits
The grid method is a bridge, not a destination. It secures the idea that multiplying two two-digit numbers means multiplying every part of one by every part of the other. Once that is secure, the compact written method is a way of writing the same four products in less space.
It is also a useful diagnostic. A child who fills a grid correctly but cannot manage the compact method is losing the place value in the layout, not the multiplication. That is a much easier problem to fix.
Marking a grid
A finished grid has four numbers and a total, so marking is quick: check the four cells against the answer page first, then the total. If all four cells are right and the total is wrong, the error is in the addition rather than the multiplication, and that needs a different lesson. The answer page prints both, which is why it shows the partial products as well as the answer.
How to use it
How to use this generator
- Choose Grid method multiplication; the layout is fixed to Grid.
- Use Year 3 or 4 for 2-digit by 1-digit, Year 5 or 6 for 2-digit by 2-digit.
- Choose 24 questions for a lesson, 20 for a starter.
- Generate and print; the answer page shows the partial products and the total.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What is the grid method?
A multiplication method that partitions each number into tens and ones, multiplies every pair of parts, and adds the results. It is sometimes called the area method because the grid looks like the area of a rectangle.
Is grid method the same as long multiplication?
No, but they do the same four multiplications. Grid method writes them in a table; long multiplication writes them in columns. Children usually meet the grid first.
Why does the answer page show the partial products?
So a teacher can see whether an error came from a single cell or from the final addition. The total is in red; the four partial products are shown in grey.
Can I print 3-digit by 2-digit grids?
No. The grid layouts on this site cover 2-digit by 1-digit and 2-digit by 2-digit, which are the versions used in primary school.
What if a number ends in zero?
The Easy setting can produce a multiple of ten such as 30 × 4. The grid still works, and it is a useful reminder that the ones part is zero rather than missing.
Do children still need times tables for this?
Yes. Every cell is a times table fact, so a child who is fluent in tables fills the grid much faster. Practise tables alongside the grid rather than instead of it.
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