Stack the cubes first
Before any formula, give kids unit cubes and ask them to build a box with a bottom layer of 3 by 2. How many cubes in one layer? How many in four layers? Counting layers shows why we multiply, so the formula feels like their own idea.
Why it works: kids understand an idea best when they touch it, then draw it, then write it, the order the U.S. Department of Education recommends for elementary math.
Try it withVolume Cubes WorksheetWorksheetsOpen it →






















