Maths vocabulary: Year 2 multiplication and division

Maths vocabulary: Year 2 multiplication and division

It is in year 2 that multiplication and division really become
important. Understanding terms such as ‘lots of’, ‘share equally’ and
‘divide’ are all introduced in a practical sense i.e. children need
plenty of opportunities to share items out and to group into sets.
The vocabulary introduced in year 2 concerning multiplication and
division of numbers includes:
lots of           groups of
times            multiply          multiplied by      multiple of

once             twice               three times
four times   five times       up to ten times  
times as (long, big etc)
repeated addition
array             row              column
share equally     one each    two each   three each    etc
group in pairs        group in tens
equal groups of
divide          divided by               divided into


*Remember that new vocabulary should not be introduced in
isolation, but in suitable contexts.