Last reviewed: 25 October 2026
Multiplication and division are the engine of upper primary Mathematics. Fractions, area, money and measurement all depend on them, so a Grade 4 or 5 learner who is quick and accurate here finds later topics much easier. This guide gives parents practical ways to build those skills at home.
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Times Tables First
Instant recall of the tables up to 10 × 10, and ideally 12 × 12, is the single most useful skill to build. A few patterns make learning easier:
- × 2 is doubling; × 4 is doubling twice; × 8 is doubling three times.
- × 5 answers always end in 0 or 5.
- × 9: the digits of the answer add to 9 (9 × 7 = 63, and 6 + 3 = 9), and the tens digit is one less than the number you multiplied by.
- × 10 adds a zero to a whole number.
- Order does not matter: 7 × 8 is the same as 8 × 7, which halves the facts to learn.
Practise for five minutes a day rather than an hour once a week. Quick oral quizzes in the car or while cooking work well.
Multiplying by 10, 100 and 1,000
Each digit moves one place to the left for × 10, two places for × 100 and three places for × 1,000. So 45 × 100 = 4,500. Understanding place value, rather than just “adding zeros”, prepares learners for decimals later.
Long Multiplication
To multiply 243 by 36, split it up: 243 × 6 = 1,458 and 243 × 30 = 7,290. Add them: 8,748. In column form, write the second row with a zero placeholder under the units to show you are multiplying by tens. Neat columns prevent most errors.
The grid (box) method is another approach: break 243 into 200, 40 and 3 and 36 into 30 and 6, multiply each pair and add the results. Some learners find it easier to understand before moving to the column method.
Division as Sharing and Grouping
Division answers two kinds of question: sharing (“share 24 sweets among 4 children”) and grouping (“how many groups of 4 are in 24?”). Both give 6. Division is the inverse of multiplication, so knowing 6 × 4 = 24 gives 24 ÷ 4 = 6 for free.
Short Division
For 852 ÷ 4: 8 ÷ 4 = 2; 5 ÷ 4 = 1 remainder 1, carry the 1 to make 12; 12 ÷ 4 = 3. Answer: 213. Learners should check by multiplying: 213 × 4 = 852.
Long Division
For dividing by two-digit numbers, follow the cycle: divide, multiply, subtract, bring down. For 936 ÷ 18: 93 ÷ 18 = 5 (5 × 18 = 90), subtract to get 3, bring down 6 to make 36, and 36 ÷ 18 = 2. Answer: 52. Writing a quick list of multiples of 18 (18, 36, 54, 72, 90…) before starting makes each step faster.
Remainders in Word Problems
What to do with a remainder depends on the story:
- Round up: 50 learners travel in vans that carry 14 each. 50 ÷ 14 = 3 remainder 8, so 4 vans are needed.
- Round down: a 100 m roll of ribbon is cut into 7 m pieces. You get 14 full pieces with 2 m left over.
- Give the remainder: 47 mangoes shared among 5 children gives 9 each with 2 left.
Word Problem Clues
“Each”, “per”, “times” and “altogether” (with equal groups) usually point to multiplication. “Share”, “divide equally”, “how many groups” and “each person gets” point to division. Encourage your child to draw a quick picture when unsure.
Practice Plan
Do one daily set: five tables facts, one long multiplication, one division and one word problem. Use the Grade 4 hub and Grade 5 hub for subject resources, and try the Grade 4 Mathematics papers or Grade 5 Mathematics papers. The exam countdown and What to Revise report help track progress. Full papers with worked answers come with the Monthly Pass (KSh 500 by M-Pesa).
Ten-minute check: try the free Grade 4 CBC Challenge. It has 10 questions, each marked on the spot with the working, and it shows which topics to practise next.