Multi-Digit Multiplication
📋 What it is
Multiply by each place value and add the partial products together.
🗣️ Coach says
Multiplying big numbers is really lots of small multiplications added up. 23 × 4 = (20 × 4) + (3 × 4) = 80 + 12 = 92. Breaking a number into its places makes any product doable.
🧠 Memory hook
Split by place, multiply each part, then ADD the pieces. That's all "long multiplication" is.
😂 Giggle
What's a math teacher's favorite season?
Sum-mer!
😲 Whoa!
The multiplication symbol × was introduced in 1631 — before that, people wrote out "multiplied by" in words.
✅ Quick check: Use place value: 23 × 4 = ?
Say your answer out loud first — then reveal.
92 — (20 × 4) + (3 × 4) = 80 + 12 = 92.
Splitting 23 into 20 + 3 and distributing makes the product easy.
🧪 Try it! (2 minutes)
Compute 6 × 34 in your head by splitting: 6 × 30 + 6 × 4 = 180 + 24 = 204.