Types of Multiplication and Division Story Problems (and flashcard fun!)

Hello everyone!

Yesterday's homework featured different types of multiplication and division story problems, and looking back, I wish I would have posted this sooner! Either way, here is a breakdown and examples of each type of story problem:

Array Multiplication
Both factors are known and items are arranged in rows and columns.
Example:
There are 3 rows of flowers. Each row has 4 flowers in it. How many flowers are there altogether?  3 x 4 = 12 flowers

Array Division
The total product is known (dividend) and one other factor (either number of rows or columns) is known.
Example:
There are 12 flowers in a garden. They are arranged in three rows. How many flowers are in each row? 12 ÷ 3 = 4 in each row.

Repeated Groups Multiplication
The two factors are known. One is the number of groups and the other is the size of each group.
Example:
There are 5 dogs. Each dog has 4 legs. How many legs are there altogether? 5 x 4 = 20 legs.

Repeated Groups Division (group size unknown)
The total product is known and the number of groups is known.
Example:
I see 20 dog legs. I know there are 5 dogs and each dog has the same number of legs. How many legs does each dog have? 20 ÷ 5 = 4 legs on each dog.

Repeated Groups Division (number of groups unknown)
The total product is known and the number of groups is known.
Example:
I see 20 dog legs. I know each dog has 4 legs. How many dogs are there? 20 ÷ 4 = 5 dogs


I hope this helps as your child brings these types of problems home for homework! Speaking of bringing things home...your child will be bringing multiplication flash cards home today! Please keep these in a safe place - their study plan will often include practicing with their flash cards! We learned today to make 3 piles. A pile of "YES! I know this one right away" a pile of "Hmm..I had to think about it, but got it right eventually" and a pile of "I have no clue." When they go through all of their cards, they set aside the ones they knew right away and go through the other two piles again. Please help them with this as much as possible!!

Thanks for continuing to support your child with mutliplication and division :)