MathThe PirateBeginner
Multiplication and Division Word Problems, a free math course on Tomo

Multiplication and Division Word Problems

Learn to translate story problems into clean math equations without getting tricked by distracting keywords. Recognize equal groups, decode comparisons, and handle remainders with confidence.

Like Duolingo, but for Multiplication and Division Word Problems. Tomo turns the whole topic into a game you play five minutes a day, until it actually sticks.

A short one: 11 levels across 2 sections, about 22 minutes end to end, roughly 4 days at five minutes a day. It moves through Finding the Hidden Groups and Handling Comparisons and Leftovers. It starts from scratch.

11 bite-size levelsAbout 5 minutes each

Free forever · No credit card · iPhone & Android

Barnaby the Bear, the guide who teaches the Multiplication and Division Word Problems course
Multiplication and Division Word Problems
with Barnaby the Bear
11
Levels
2
Sections
5
Min/day
What you'll learn

Key ideas in Multiplication and Division Word Problems

  • Multiplication and division only apply when groups or containers hold the exact same amount
  • Unequal sets (like 5 in one pouch and 8 in another) use addition or subtraction, not multiplication or division
  • Signal words like 'each', 'per', and 'every' tell you what fits into a single group, not the grand total
  • The number directly attached to 'each' describes the unit size of one packet or tray
  • When a story provides both the number of groups and the size of each group, multiplication combines them to find the missing total
  • Phrases like 'altogether' or 'in all' paired with equal groups ask you to scale up to the grand total
  • When a word problem hands you the grand total first, division is the tool used to break it into equal sets or share it
  • Division answers either 'how many in each group' or 'how many equal groups can be made' from the starting whole
  • In fair-share (partitive) division, the number of groups or recipients is known from the start
  • The goal in sharing division is finding the size of one portion or share
  • Dividing total items by total groups reveals how many items go into each group
  • In measurement division, the fixed capacity or size of a single group is known
  • The question asks how many groups or containers can be formed by repeatedly measuring out that fixed amount
  • Dividing the total by the portion size yields the total count of groups
  • If the question's target unit matches the total's unit (e.g., total stickers → stickers per person), you are solving for group size
  • If the question's target unit names a container or category (e.g., sheets, bags, friends), you are solving for the number of groups
Why not just Google it

You've tried the other tabs

Wikipedia

Thirty open tabs. Four facts you actually kept.

YouTube

You watched. You nodded. By Sunday it was gone.

ChatGPT

One answer, then back to scrolling.

Online courses

Eight weeks. You meant to finish. You didn't.

Tomo gives Multiplication and Division Word Problems the Duolingo treatment: levels, streaks, and quick quizzes that test what you just learned. That game loop is what the tabs above never had, so it's the one you actually finish.

Try a question

Here's what playing it feels like

A real question from this course. Take your best guess.

Spotting Equal Groups on Deck

One pouch holds 5 coins and another holds 8 coins. How should you find the total count of coins?

Get it right to open this lesson and 10 more in the app.

Course map

How to learn Multiplication and Division Word Problems, step by step

Go in order. 11 short levels across 2 sections, about 22 minutes in all, five minutes a day.

  1. 1

    Finding the Hidden Groups

    • Spotting Equal Groups in the Story
    • Telling Sharing Apart from Measuring
  2. 2

    Handling Comparisons and Leftovers

    • Unpacking 'Times as Many' Comparisons
    • Making Sense of Real-World Remainders

2 sections · 4 units · 11 levels. Built to play, not to enroll.

Questions

Questions about Multiplication and Division Word Problems

  1. How do I learn Multiplication and Division Word Problems?

    Go in order: start with Finding the Hidden Groups, then Handling Comparisons and Leftovers. On Tomo that's 11 short levels, about 22 minutes in all, played five minutes a day. Start free and play the first level in under a minute.

  2. Is there a Duolingo-style app for Multiplication and Division Word Problems?

    Yes. Tomo works like Duolingo: short daily lessons, streaks and quick quizzes. Multiplication and Division Word Problems is one of its free courses, and you can type any other topic to get a course of your own.

  3. Is the Multiplication and Division Word Problems course free?

    Yes. Multiplication and Division Word Problems is playable on Tomo's free plan, which doesn't expire. No credit card, no waitlist. Download the app and start your first lesson.

  4. How long does it take to learn Multiplication and Division Word Problems?

    11 levels across 2 sections, about 22 minutes of play in total. It's built for five minutes a day, so you finish it a little at a time instead of all at once.

  5. Do I need any background to start Multiplication and Division Word Problems?

    No. It's pitched at a beginner level, so it starts where you are and builds up. If you can tap a phone, you can start.

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How it's taught

You pick the voice

This course
The Pirate

Multiplication and Division Word Problems is taught in the Pirate style: arr, learning be an adventure!. Want a different feel? In the app you can spin up the same topic in any of Tomo's teaching styles. Same facts, totally different vibe.

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Start Multiplication and Division Word Problems today.

Download Tomo, search Multiplication and Division Word Problems, and play your first lesson in under a minute.