What is a multiplication fact family?

A multiplication fact family is a group of related math facts that use the same three numbers. Multiplication fact families can also include division, which is the inverse or opposite operation of multiplication. For example, using 2, 5, and 10, the fact family would have four equations: 2 x 5 = 10, 5 x 2 = 10, and 10 ÷ 5 = 2. Students may have used fact families while learning addition and subtraction, so multiplication fact families continue to build on your child’s understanding of how numbers relate to each other in math. Fact families emphasize the commutative property of multiplication where 2 x 5 is the same as 5 x 2.

Multiplication and division charts actually have the same basic layout since they represent inverse operations, except that the division chart lacks a 0 column because division by 0 is undefined.

To use the chart for multiplication, locate the product at the intersection of the row and column for the two numbers you want to multiply. For division, start by finding the divisor on the top row, then scan down to find the dividend, and the quotient will be indicated by the row number along the left side. For example, to divide 32 by 8, find 8 along the top, trace down to 32, and then move left to find the answer, 4.