Ross MackellUK-qualified primary teacher · 9 min read

Ask your child to work out 47 × 6 on paper. If they write down 2,442, don't worry. That is one of the most common mistakes in primary maths, and it tells you exactly what to fix.

The answer is 282. What went wrong is the carrying, and carrying is the heart of short multiplication. Once a child understands why we carry, rather than just following a rule, this method becomes one of the most reliable tools they have.

I'm Ross, a UK-qualified primary teacher with over ten years in the classroom. In this guide I'll show you short multiplication step by step, the way it's taught in UK schools now, including the expanded method that comes first, the three mistakes to watch for, and a short routine with practice questions you can use at home tonight.

What is short multiplication?

Short multiplication is a formal written method for multiplying a bigger number by a single digit. You write the numbers in columns, multiply each digit in turn from right to left, and carry when an answer is 10 or more.

It's called "short" to separate it from long multiplication, which is used when you multiply by a two-digit number like 26. Short multiplication has one row of working. Long multiplication has two or more rows that you add together.

Here's what the national curriculum expects:

How schools build up to it

If your child's homework doesn't look like the method you remember, that's normal. Schools don't jump straight to the column method. They build understanding step by step, roughly like this:

1. Repeated addition: 4 × 3 is 3 + 3 + 3 + 3.
2. Arrays: rows and columns of dots, so children can see that 4 × 3 and 3 × 4 are the same.
3. Partitioning and the grid method: split 47 into 40 and 7, multiply each part, add them up.
4. The expanded column method: the same idea, written in columns.
5. Short multiplication: the expanded method squeezed into one line by carrying.

Each step makes the next one make sense. I explain why schools teach it this way in why maths is taught differently now. The short version: a child who understands where the carried digit comes from will make far fewer mistakes than one who has just memorised "write the 2, carry the 4".

And underneath all of it are the times tables. Short multiplication is really just a series of times table facts with some adding on. If your child is slow on their facts, start with how to learn times tables fast.

The expanded method: 47 × 6

The expanded method shows every part of the multiplication on its own line. It's the bridge between the grid method and short multiplication, and it's the best way to show your child what's really happening.

Notice the second line is 240, not 24. That's because the 4 in 47 is really 40, and 40 × 6 = 240. This is place value at work, and it's exactly the understanding that stops the 2,442 mistake.

Short multiplication step by step: 47 × 6

Short multiplication does the same thing, but instead of writing 42 and 240 on separate lines, we carry the tens across as we go.

Step 1: Multiply the ones

7 × 6 = 42. That's 4 tens and 2 ones. Write the 2 in the ones column of the answer. Write the 4 small, underneath the answer line in the tens column. That 4 is 4 tens waiting to be added.

Step 2: Multiply the tens, then add the carry

4 × 6 = 24. Now add the 4 you carried: 24 + 4 = 28. There are no more digits to multiply, so write 28 in full.

Step 3: Read the answer

47 × 6 = 282. The same as the expanded method, in one line.

The golden rule: multiply first, then add the carry. Never the other way round. Say it every time until it's automatic.

You'll see schools write the carried digits in different places. Many put them small underneath the answer line, as above. Some put them at the top. Both are fine. Just use whatever your child's school uses so you don't confuse them.

A bigger one: 365 × 7

With a three-digit number, you just carry one more time. The steps don't change.

1. Ones: 5 × 7 = 35. Write 5, carry 3.
2. Tens: 6 × 7 = 42, plus the carried 3 = 45. Write 5, carry 4.
3. Hundreds: 3 × 7 = 21, plus the carried 4 = 25. Nothing left to multiply, so write 25.

365 × 7 = 2,555. A quick sense check: 365 is nearly 400, and 400 × 7 = 2,800. So an answer a bit under 2,800 is about right. Teaching your child to estimate first catches lots of mistakes before they happen.

When there's a zero

Zeros cause trouble because children think "zero times anything is zero, so I write zero" and forget the carry. Try 406 × 5:

• Ones: 6 × 5 = 30. Write 0, carry 3.
• Tens: 0 × 5 = 0, plus the carried 3 = 3. This is the step that goes wrong. The answer is 3, not 0.
• Hundreds: 4 × 5 = 20. Write 20.

The same thing happens with zeros in short division, so if your child has this habit, it's worth fixing in both.

3 short multiplication mistakes and how to fix them

Mistake 1: Writing the whole answer instead of carrying

What it looks like: 47 × 6 = 2,442. The child writes 42 under the 7, then 24 next to it.

The fix: "Only one digit can live in each column." Go back to the expanded method for a few days so they see the 42 is 4 tens and 2 ones.

Mistake 2: Adding the carry before multiplying

What it looks like: 47 × 6. They carry the 4, add it to the 4 in 47 to make 8, then do 8 × 6 = 48. Answer: 482.

The fix: "Multiply first, then add the carry." Get them to say the times table fact out loud before they look at the carried digit.

Mistake 3: Forgetting the carry

What it looks like: 365 × 7 = 2,125. Every carried digit has been ignored.

The fix: make the carried digits impossible to miss. Some children like to cross each one out once it's been added. An estimate first (about 2,800) also shows straight away that 2,125 is far too small.

A 10-minute short multiplication routine

Same three steps I use for every skill: watch, copy, practise.

1. Watch: do one example yourself, saying each step out loud: "7 times 6 is 42. Write the 2, carry the 4."
2. Copy: your child does a very similar one, talking it through the same way.
3. Practise: three or four on their own, with an estimate first.

Pick questions that suit your child's year group, and only move on when they're getting three in a row right. Ten minutes, a few times a week, is plenty. When short multiplication is solid, your child is ready for long multiplication.

Frequently asked questions

What year do children learn short multiplication?

Children begin moving towards written multiplication in Year 3. In Year 4 they're expected to use the formal short multiplication layout for 2-digit and 3-digit numbers multiplied by a 1-digit number. In Year 5 this extends to 4-digit numbers.

What is the difference between short and long multiplication?

Short multiplication is used when multiplying by a single digit, such as 365 × 7, and has one row of working. Long multiplication is used when multiplying by a 2-digit number, such as 34 × 26. It has a row for the ones, a row for the tens, and then you add the rows together.

Where do you put the carried number in short multiplication?

Most UK schools write the carried digit small, underneath the answer line, in the next column to the left. Some schools put it above. Both work, so follow your child's school to avoid confusion.

What is the expanded method of multiplication?

The expanded method writes out each part of the multiplication separately. For 47 × 6 you write 7 × 6 = 42 on one line and 40 × 6 = 240 on the next, then add them to get 282. It helps children understand what carrying really means before they move on to short multiplication.

How can I help my child with short multiplication at home?

Make sure their times tables are secure first. Then model one example out loud, let them copy a similar one, and give them a few to try on their own. Ask them to estimate before they start, so they can spot answers that are far too big or too small.