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National Curriculum Resource Tool

Materials to support teachers and schools in embedding the National Curriculum

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Year 1 - Multiplication and Division

New Curriculum

  • solve one-step problems involving multiplication and division, by calculating the answer using concrete objects, pictorial representations and arrays with the support of the teacher.

Non-Statutory Guidance

Through grouping and sharing small quantities, pupils begin to understand: multiplication and division; doubling numbers and quantities; and finding simple fractions of objects, numbers and quantities.

They make connections between arrays, number patterns, and counting in twos, fives and tens.

Links and Resources

Teachers should use every relevant subject to develop pupils’ mathematical fluency. Confidence in numeracy and other mathematical skills is a precondition of success across the national curriculum.
Teachers should develop pupils’ numeracy and mathematical reasoning in all subjects so that they understand and appreciate the importance of mathematics.

– National Curriculum in England Framework Document, September 2013, p10

Connections within Mathematics

Making connections to this topic in adjacent year groups

Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage

From ‘Number’ Early Learning Goal;

  • They solve problems, including doubling, halving and sharing

Year 2

  • Recall and use multiplication and division facts for the 2, 5 and 10 multiplication tables, including recognising odd and even numbers.
  • Calculate mathematical statements for multiplication and division within the multiplication tables and write them using the multiplication (x), division (÷) and equals (=) signs
  • Show that multiplication of two numbers can be done in any order (commutative) and division of one number by another cannot
  • Solve problems involving multiplication and division, using materials, arrays, repeated addition, mental methods, and multiplication and division facts, including problems in contexts.

Non statutory guidance

Pupils use a variety of language to describe multiplication and division.

Pupils are introduced to the multiplication tables. They practise to become fluent in the 2, 5 and 10 multiplication tables and connect them to each other. They connect the 10 multiplication table to place value, and the 5 multiplication table to the divisions on the clock face. They begin to use other multiplication facts, including using related division facts to perform written and mental calculations.

Pupils work with a range of materials and contexts in which multiplication and division to relate to grouping and sharing discrete and continuous quantities, and relating these to fractions and measures (e.g. 40 ÷ 2 = 20, 20 is a half of 40). They use commutativity and inverse relations to develop multiplicative reasoning (e.g. 4 x 5 = 20 and 20 ÷ 5= 4).

Cross-curricular and real life connections

Learners will encounter multiplication and division in:

Money - when shopping and recognising prices of items, ordering items by price, finding quantities in multiple purchases, sales prices, sharing costs.

Measurement - calculating area and perimeter, finding journey distances, reading and calculating scales, adjusting recipe quantities.

Data - interpreting and evaluating data, calculating amounts from pie charts and pictograms.

Programmes of Study statements Activities
A B C
Solve one-step problems involving multiplication and division, by calculating the answer using concrete objects, pictorial representations and arrays with the support of a teacher.      

Actvity A - Noah’s Ark

Give the children the opportunity to count in twos, finding the total number of animals on board the Ark. As the children gain fluency counting in twos, start at different numbers and perhaps changing from using concrete objects, to jumping in twos along a number line. Further uses could be to find the number of groups of two on the ark, again initially using tangible objects, then moving on to using a number line and demonstrating repeated subtraction.

Noah’s Ark

Activity B - Whole class counting sessions

For this activity the children themselves are the objects to count. You can count in twos to find the number of shoes in a group, count fingers on hands in fives and number of toes in tens. To extend the children you can ask them to model how to write down this calculation or alter it to practise their division facts from the 2, 5 and 10 times tables.

Activity C - NRICH Share Bears:

A lovely investigation involving the children in division by sharing, and early introduction to the concept of remainders.

Examples of what children should be able to do, in relation to each (boxed) Programme of Study statement

solve one-step problems involving multiplication and division, by calculating the answer using concrete objects, pictorial representations and arrays with the support of a teacher

Children should be able to:

  • Use practical apparatus, arrays and images to help solve multiplication and division problems such as:

    Ben had 5 football stickers. His friend Tom gave him 5 more, how many does he have altogether?

    Share 12 sweets between two children. How many do they each have?

  • Find half of and double a number or quantity:

    16 children went to the park at the weekend. Half that number went swimming. How many children went swimming?

    I think of a number and halve it. I end up with 9, what was my original number?

Two NCETM videos demonstrating how to use visual resources to develop a good conceptual understanding of multiplication, and the importance of the commutative law for multiplication.

Multiple Representations

The Commutative Law for Multiplication