2-Digit by 1-Digit Multiplication
20 problems on two pages, each a two-digit number times a one-digit number from 2 to 9, stacked in columns. Most of them need a carry. It's the first step into multi-digit multiplication, usually in 4th grade once the times tables are solid.
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Multiply, then add the carry
In 38 × 7, start with the ones: 7 × 8 = 56. Write the 6 and carry the 5. Then 7 × 3 = 21, and adding the carried 5 makes 26. The answer is 266.
The usual mistake is adding the carried digit before multiplying, doing 3 + 5 = 8 and then 8 × 7. Say it as "multiply, then add what you carried" until the order sticks.
Problems like 50 × 7 have nothing to carry, since 7 × 0 = 0. When this sheet is easy, 3-digit by 1-digit multiplication adds one more column with the same steps.
Frequently Asked Questions
What grade learns 2-digit by 1-digit multiplication?
4th grade, as the first multi-digit multiplication. Many 3rd grade classes warm up for it with problems like 40 × 3.
What if my student doesn't know the times tables yet?
Every step uses a fact, so gaps in the tables show up as wrong answers. Keep a multiplication chart nearby at first, and practice the facts on their own until the chart isn't needed.
Is there a way to do these without carrying?
Yes. Split the two-digit number into tens and ones and multiply each part: 35 × 9 is 30 × 9 plus 5 × 9, or 270 + 45 = 315. It's the same math the carrying method writes more compactly.