Week 8 of 8
Week 8
3rd Grade → 4th Grade · Word problems muldiv and Main idea
Math
Multiplication and Division Word Problems
Stories about equal groups: how many in all, how many in each group, or how many groups. Third grade, alongside the multiplication and division facts.
The mistake to watch for. Multiplying every time because the story has two numbers. Decide what is unknown: the total (multiply), the size of each group (divide), or the number of groups (divide).
How to help. Draw boxes for the groups and put dots inside. Ask which of the three amounts the question is asking for.
A worked example
There are 4 bags with 6 apples in each bag. The groups are equal and we want the total, so multiply: 4 × 6 = 24 apples. The other way round: 24 apples shared into 4 equal groups is 24 ÷ 4 = 6 in each group.
All multiplication and division word problems sets, with answer keys →
Words for this week
- multiply
- To add the same number again and again, in a faster way.
- divide
- To share a number into equal groups, or to find how many groups fit.
- group
- A set of things put together, like 4 groups of 3 apples.
- equal
- The same amount. The sign = means "is equal to".
- share
- To split into equal parts.
Read this week
Babylonians
A short history article from our Learn library, chosen for this reading level. Read it together, then ask your child to tell you one new thing they learned.