This grade 3 multiplication lesson plan uses the array model as a concrete, visual bridge between repeated addition and multiplication. It aligns with the Ontario Grade 3 Number strand, BC’s Mathematics 3 curriculum, and Alberta’s Mathematics Program of Studies for Grade 3. The full lesson runs approximately 60 minutes and includes hands-on tile work, an exit ticket, and tiered differentiation.

Lesson Overview: Grade 3 Multiplication Lesson Plan

Students explore equal groups multiplication by building, drawing, and describing arrays using square tiles. They connect the language of rows and columns to multiplication equations, and they practise moving between repeated addition and multiplication notation. By the end of the lesson, students can explain why 3 × 4 and 4 × 3 describe the same array rotated 90 degrees.

This lesson targets the Ontario expectation that Grade 3 students “use objects and diagrams to represent multiplication as the combining of equal groups” (Ontario Ministry of Education, Ontario Mathematics Curriculum, Grades 1, 8). BC’s Mathematics 3 and Alberta’s Program of Studies carry equivalent expectations around equal groups and skip counting as foundations for multiplication facts.

Learning Goal

Students will use the arrays multiplication model to represent and solve multiplication problems up to 5 × 5, and explain the relationship between rows, columns, and the total number of objects.

Success Criteria

  • I can build an array with square tiles and write the matching multiplication equation.
  • I can describe an array by saying how many rows and how many columns it has.
  • I can show that repeated addition and multiplication give the same answer.
  • I can rotate an array and explain why the product stays the same (commutative property).

Materials

  • Square tiles or linking cubes (at least 25 per student or pair)
  • Array recording sheet (grid paper or printed dot paper)
  • Markers or pencil crayons in two colours
  • Mini whiteboards or scrap paper for the hook
  • Exit ticket slips (one per student, prepared in advance)
  • Optional: projector or document camera to display teacher models

Hook (5, 8 minutes)

Display an image of a muffin tin (12 cups, arranged in 2 rows of 6). Ask students to write on their whiteboards: “How many muffins fit? How do you know?” Take three or four responses. Students will naturally say “I counted” or “I added 6 + 6.” Record both equations on the board: 6 + 6 = 12 and 2 × 6 = 12. Tell students that today they will find out why those two equations are really saying the same thing.

The muffin tin is a deliberately Canadian kitchen image, familiar and low-stakes. You can swap it for an egg carton (2 × 6) or a Canadian hockey card sheet (3 × 5) depending on what resonates with your class.

Direct Instruction (10 minutes)

Using tiles on a document camera (or a drawn model), build a 3 × 4 array. Think aloud: “I have 3 rows. Each row has 4 tiles. That is 4 + 4 + 4, or 3 groups of 4, or 3 × 4.” Label rows and columns explicitly. Introduce the vocabulary row (horizontal), column (vertical), factor, and product with a simple anchor chart.

Then rotate the array 90 degrees and ask students what changed. Guide them to see that 3 × 4 = 4 × 3. This is the commutative property, named simply as “turn-around facts.” Keep terminology accessible; Grade 3 students need the concept more than the formal term right now. The LearnAlberta resource bank includes visual models that reinforce this same language if you want a supplementary display.

Guided Practice (12 minutes)

Students work in pairs. Call out an array (e.g., “2 rows, 5 columns”) and have students build it with tiles, then write the equation on their recording sheet. Circulate and prompt with questions: “How many rows? How many in each row? What multiplication equation matches this?” Do at least four examples together, gradually releasing responsibility so that students are suggesting the dimensions by the third round.

Encourage students to use two colours to shade alternate rows on their grid paper. This colour-coding reinforces the idea of equal groups and makes the skip-counting pattern visible at a glance.

Independent Practice (15 minutes)

Students complete six array tasks on their recording sheet: three where they are given the equation and must build and draw the array, and three where they are shown a drawn array and must write the equation. Ask them to also write the matching repeated addition sentence for each. This reinforces the connection between multiplication strategies and prior knowledge.

These tasks make excellent math lesson follow-ups for the next day’s warm-up. You can also create a quick version using the site’s classroom bingo generator by populating squares with multiplication facts for a review game later in the week.

Consolidation (8, 10 minutes)

Bring the class together. Ask two or three students to share their arrays under the document camera. Use prompts: “Did anyone find a turn-around fact? What does that tell us about multiplication?” End with a class chant or call-and-response: teacher says “3 rows of 4,” students respond “3 times 4 equals 12.” Alternate with “4 rows of 3” to cement commutativity.

Exit Ticket (5 minutes)

Each student completes a slip independently: draw an array for 4 × 3, write the equation, and write the repeated addition sentence. Collect slips to sort students into three groups for the next day. This simple multiplication lesson plan exit ticket takes about 90 seconds to sort per stack of 25 slips. You can also use the site’s quick rating tool to record your on-the-spot observations during independent practice.

Differentiation

Students Who Need More Support

Limit arrays to facts within 2 × 2 to 2 × 5. Provide a pre-drawn grid with rows labelled so students only need to fill in the tiles. Use a number line alongside the array so students can see skip counting, repeated addition, and the array as three representations of the same idea. Pair with a stronger peer during guided practice rather than independent tasks.

Students Ready for Extension

Challenge students to build arrays beyond 5 × 5, up to 6 × 9. Ask them to find all possible arrays for 12 tiles (1 × 12, 2 × 6, 3 × 4, 4 × 3, 6 × 2, 12 × 1) and explain what they notice about the factors. This naturally introduces the concept of factor pairs and lays groundwork for area models in Grade 4. You can also ask these students to write a word problem that matches a given array, connecting arrays multiplication to real-world contexts.

Multilingual Learners

Provide a bilingual vocabulary card with the terms row, column, factor, and product illustrated with a labelled diagram. Use physical tiles extensively, since the concrete model communicates meaning before language does. Allow students to explain their thinking in their home language to a partner first, then attempt the English recording. Sentence frames such as “My array has ___ rows and ___ columns. The multiplication equation is ___ × ___ = ___” reduce the language barrier without lowering the math expectation.

Assessment

Use the exit ticket as your primary formative data point. Students who correctly draw the array, write 4 × 3 = 12, and write 4 + 4 + 4 = 12 (or 3 + 3 + 3 + 3 = 12) are meeting the learning goal. Students who draw the array correctly but mix up the equation or repeated addition sentence need a short re-teaching conversation focused on connecting rows to groups. Students who cannot yet draw the array independently return to the support tier for the next lesson.

Observation notes from guided and independent practice round out the picture. The 5-point rating tool on this site is a fast way to log where each student lands during the independent practice phase without stopping to write full anecdotal notes. Keep the exit ticket slips in student portfolios or math journals as evidence of growth across the multiplication unit.

Follow-up Lessons

The natural next step is to move from building arrays to drawing them on grid paper without tiles, then to skip counting on a number line as a third representation. After that, introduce multiplication facts for 2s, 5s, and 10s explicitly, since most Grade 3 students can leverage prior skip-counting knowledge for those facts. Later lessons can revisit the array model in the context of measuring area, making this lesson a genuine conceptual investment rather than a one-off activity.

For a full sequence of math lesson plans organized by strand and grade, the lessons section of this site offers free printable options. You can also browse curriculum-aligned links sorted by subject to find additional Canadian-produced array and multiplication resources. Alberta Education’s Program of Studies outlines the progression from equal groups in Grade 2 through multiplication facts and simple division in Grades 3 and 4; the Alberta curriculum documentation is a useful reference for planning your unit arc.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you teach multiplication with arrays?

Start with a concrete stage: students build arrays using square tiles or linking cubes, calling out the number of rows and columns before writing any symbols. Once students can build and describe arrays reliably, move to drawing them on grid paper, then to writing the multiplication equation. Always connect the array back to repeated addition so students see multiplication as a faster way to count equal groups rather than a brand-new operation.

What is an array in Grade 3 math?

An array is an arrangement of objects, pictures, or symbols organized into equal rows and equal columns. In Grade 3 math, arrays are the primary visual model for multiplication because they make both factors visible at the same time: the number of rows is one factor, the number of columns is the other, and the total number of objects is the product. A 3 × 5 array has 3 rows, 5 columns, and 15 objects in total.

How do you introduce multiplication in Grade 3?

The most effective approach connects multiplication to what students already know. Grade 3 students can skip count and add equal groups, so begin there. Show that 4 + 4 + 4 is three groups of four and that 3 × 4 is a shorter way to write the same thing. Use real-world Canadian contexts such as muffin tins, egg cartons, or hockey card sheets to make the idea concrete before moving to abstract notation.

What comes before multiplication in Grade 3?

Skip counting by 2s, 5s, and 10s is the immediate prerequisite, along with a solid understanding of equal groups from Grade 2. Students should also be comfortable with addition and subtraction facts to 20. The Ontario and BC curricula both position equal-groups language and skip counting as the Grade 2 foundation that multiplication builds on directly in Grade 3. If students are not yet secure with skip counting, spend a few days on that before introducing multiplication notation.

Continue the Conversation

Have a tip for teaching arrays that worked brilliantly with your class? Found a Canadian manipulative or picture book that made the commutative property click? Share your ideas with other Canadian teachers in the Canadian Teacher community forum. The forum is free and active, and it is a great place to trade differentiation ideas, swap exit ticket templates, or ask questions about the Ontario, BC, or Alberta curriculum expectations for this grade 3 multiplication lesson plan.